


What Happens in Vegas

by Tonicheryltopaz



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Original Character(s), Toni is a player but a lowkey softie, Varchie and Bughead in the background, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2020-11-10 19:17:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 96,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20856899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tonicheryltopaz/pseuds/Tonicheryltopaz
Summary: Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom are dragged to Las Vegas by their respective friend groups.





	1. Just a Weekend

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first attempt at any sort of fanfic. I have been reading Choni fanfic for months now, there are so many talented writers on here. The chapters will FOR SURE get longer, I just wanted to dip my foot into the pool. The story will unfold itself but just some background. It is mostly AU with some canon components. Toni and Cheryl have never met (no Southside High merging). They are in their 20's. Serpents are a thing. I won't explain everything, I promise it will all air out as the story goes on. The story is LOOSELY based on the movie What Happens in Vegas. I say loosely because there are only a couple influences from it as far as plot. Also just made a Twitter for Choni stuff @Tonicheryltopaz. Peace.

Vegas. Sin City. The Entertainment Capital of the World. A weekend away as Veronica kept saying. The raven haired girl was finishing up packing her Gucci bag and was chatting aimlessly about the weekend ahead.

“Then we will go to Cirque de Soleli, all the trendy bars, gamble of course, and ...Cheryl are you even listening to me?” Veronica asked, her voice laced with annoyance. “Come on Cheryl, stop moping we are going to have fun.” she said while sitting on top of her bag to get it to close. “You and Heather have been broken up for a couple months now, it is time to have some fun.”

Cheryl sighed longingly, thinking of her ex. She twirled a red hair in her manicured finger, the red polish shining as her hand moved. “That doesn’t mean I am ready to move on.” She closed her eyes thinking of Heather’s blonde hair, green eyes, soft skin, and freckled nose. The way she hiccuped if she laughed too hard or how she only took her water with three slices of lemon.

Veronica rolled her eyes and picked up her iPhone as she tugged at the string of pearls around her neck. “I am going to text Betty, Josie, and Kevin and let them know that the limo will pick them up shortly to meet us at the airport.” Cheryl stood stoic next to Veronica’s king sized bed. “Hey.” Veronica whispered softly, placing her hand on Cheryl’s forearm. “A night of meaningless sex with a stranger is just what you need, trust me. Heather has been stringing you along for years. You are 24 now you can’t waste anymore time on that one.”

Cheryl scoffed. “Says the girl who is using this as a Pre-Bachelorette party to celebrate her engagement to a certain redhead architect. You have someone V...I want that.”

Veronica shot her a knowingly look, glancing down briefly at her ring finger housing a glistening 2 carat round diamond. “I know...he is a stud isn’t he.” 

Cheryl swatted her arm playfully. She knew Veronica was right though. Ever since Cheryl had moved to New York with Veronica from the Northside of Riverdale and signed away her rights to her parents Maple Syrup business, rendering her essentially broke, Heather had been stringing her along. Heather came from money, just like Cheryl and Veronica and she loved it. She loved the lavish dinners, the designer bags, the fast cars, all of it. But when Cheryl had decided to cut off that part of her life it had caused tension. After years of being closeted, dealing with constant verbal abuse from both her parents, and the sudden death of her beloved twin brother, Cheryl was more than ready to start over, even if it meant cutting herself out of the business. She had been working at a law firm, just as a secretary as she worked her way through law school. With the financial costs of her education it was taking her longer to finish than the average student. Veronica was more than happy to let her friend live with her rent free.

“Hey, maybe you’ll even win big.” Veronica added, breaking Cheryl from her trance as she flashed her a toothy white grin.

“Maybe ...” Cheryl mumbled as she followed Veronica out the door.

******  
Two hours away from the big city on the Southside of Riverdale, little Toni Topaz was sitting on top of her suitcase as well. Her tiny frame pressed down on the bag as she pulled on the rusty zipper. She brushed a lock of pink hair away from her face, littered with sweat from her efforts as she looked around her trailer. It was only a weekend. After the week she had, she was more than ready to have some time away. A week full of proving herself. Proving that she could lead a dwindling group of misfits back to their former glory. To build up the Southside and the Serpents to what they use to be. Better than they used to be.

“Toni, Serpent Queeeeeeeeen. Are you ready?” yelled a deep voice from her trailer door. Heavy footsteps stomped into her bedroom. The tall, raven haired boy loomed in her doorway, smirking at her as she lifted the suitcase off the bed. 

“A little help Sweet Pea?” she grumbled, readjusting her dark jeans that had ridden up over her caramel colored toned stomach.

“Anything for you Serpent Queen.” he bowed mockingly.

She punched his arm playfully. “Will you stop with that?”

“Come on Toni, it’s a big deal. I am just happy we have a leader that actually wants to make change and wants to listen to us. You have been in the trenches, you know how these years have been. Plus you’re legacy. A little trip to Vegas before you reign is just what the doctor ordered.” the tall boy said as he pulled Toni’s bag over his shoulder. “Plus...hot girls. Girls that aren’t Savannah or Megan or Chrissy or...” he scrunched his face trying to think of more names. “Beth!” he announced snapping his fingers in triumph.

Toni huffed in annoyance. “Enough with the list...but I am getting bored of the girls on the Southside. I need something different, someone different...You are right, maybe this is what I need...But sitting on a plane with you, Jughead, and Fangs sounds completely unappealing.”

Sweet Pea let out a bellowing laugh. “Maybe you will win big and you can fly home first class.”

“Maybe….” Toni mumbled as she locked up her trailer.


	2. Snakes on a Plane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip begins!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for everyone who has taken the time to read this little story. I still feel nervous posting with it being my first fic but I am thrilled even if just one person reads it lol. A couple things I want to clarify. This is a Choni fic so that is why I don't really go too much into detail with Betty/Jughead's past in this chapter. This is all filler, background, and story set up for the most part. We will definitely be diving head first into all of the details of Toni and Cheryl's backgrounds. This is just a small scratch on the surface. Okay, I am done rambling. Talk to me on Twitter @Tonicheryltopaz !

Cheryl snuggled into her seat in first class, tucking a fluffy blanket up under her chin. First class was not something she could afford anymore but Veronica would not fly any other way. The Latina had quickly upgraded all her friends tickets to first class without blinking an eye. Cheryl had grown accustomed to flying over time. She was by no means a fearful flyer. When she was a child, her mother and father, Clifford and Penelope Blossom would sweep her and her twin brother Jason up on a moments notice for exotic trips. She felt a pang in her heart at the thought of her twin. He had been gone for 2 years now but it never got easier. His death sparked all the drastic changes her life had taken as of late.

“Are you excited Cheryl?” The blonde girl seated next to her asked, pulling her out of her trance.

Cheryl turned to look at her. Blonde hair in a tight ponytail, soft green eyes shining with sincerity, and a smile that could put anyone at ease.

“Truthfully cousin..I am not but Veronica has done so much for me, I would feel ungrateful to decline.” Cheryl responded. Veronica was only 24 years old like Cheryl, but she had to grow up quickly. A trend with the children of Riverdale. Both her parents were behind bars and she was left to clean up the mess they had left behind. She had been working tirelessly for years legitimizing all the businesses her parents had tainted. She owned a plethora of businesses in Riverdale and a handful in New York. If she wasn’t in a business meeting of some sort, she was making an appearance at one of her establishments making sure it was running properly. With her fiancee Archie Andrews owning Andrews Construction in Riverdale they were an unstoppable couple. Veronica had taken Cheryl under her wing after the red head made the decision to remove herself permanently from the Blossom Maple Syrup business. She refused to see the ‘Cheryl Bombshell’ living in a dingy, one bedroom, New York apartment alone.

Betty bit her lip anxiously and nodded. Her and Cheryl had never been close but she was still family. “I promise it will be fun.” The blonde gave her cousin’s hand a firm squeeze.

Cheryl nodded curtly and went to put her AirPods in her ear. Just as she was choosing a song ...

“What the fuck?! No way!” A male voice from across the aisle exclaimed.

Cheryl quickly turned her head towards the voice and saw her friend Kevin clutching his phone, his mouth hung open comically in disbelief.

“What?” Josie asked as she gawked at him. “You can’t shout that on a plane. You scared the shit out of me.”

Cheryl snickered at the step siblings. The two had grown quite close over the years ever since their parents married each other while they were all still in high school. They loved to see people’s reactions when they said they were siblings. Kevin being a tall, Caucasian, dark haired male with green eyes and a boyish face. Josie had dark rich skin, dark brown eyes, and beautiful, dark curly hair. Cheryl had spent many days in high school admiring all that is Josie McCoy. Seeing Josie lecture her step brother reminded Cheryl of when she would lecture Jason after pulling childish pranks on her. She smiled at the memory.

“I’m sorry guys. It’s just that I am talking to this guy in Riverdale. He’s so hot by the way.” Kevin started.

Cheryl wrinkled her nose at the mention of the small town. The last thing she would do is “talk” to someone from there. She left that horrid town for a reason.

“He just posted on Instagram from the airport there. He is on his way to Vegas too!” Kevin’s eyes were nearly popping out of his head.

“Glorious!” Veronica chimed in clapping her hands together. “We can meet up with Kevin’s boy toy whilst galavanting around Sin City.”

Kevin grinned at her while she spoke. His facial expression quickly changed when he saw who else was tagged in the photo. “We can...but uh Betty?”

“Yeah Kev?” The blonde responded.

“Jughead is tagged too.”

Cheryl watched the color drain from her cousins face. Jughead...Cheryl had remembered hearing that name in high school. He was Betty’s boyfriend from the Southside. He attended Southside High. She saw him once or twice with her at Pops Chocklit Shoppe. She scrunched her eyes trying to remember what she could about him. She remembered he wore a crowned beanie over his dark hair, had pale skin, blue-green eyes and was relatively tall. Far too hobo like for Cheryl to associate herself with. She knew they broke up before Betty moved to New York for school and that she had been devastated about it. Cheryl had been too busy with her own issues to worry about her cousins boy drama.

“Is the guy you’re talking to a Serpent?” The blonde asked cautiously.

Kevin avoided her gaze but nodded his head slowly. “Fangs.”

Cheryl giggled at the name. Jughead? Fangs? What was she getting into. Cheryl stayed on the Northside so she never had any run ins with the infamous South Side Serpents. All she knew was that they were criminals. The scum of Riverdale her parents would tell her.

“Well this shall be riveting” Veronica concluded, pulling a sleep mask over her eyes.

“Absolutely” Cheryl mumbled rolling her eyes and turning up her music.

*****  
Toni, Fangs, Sweet Pea, and Jughead stood in line at airport security, all downing there Serpent jackets.

“People are staring at us.” Sweet Pea whispered rocking back and forth on his feet.

“A Serpent never sheds their skin, we are fine Pea, as long as your switchblade was in my checked bag.” Toni said simply, standing on her tiptoes to assess where they were at in line as she pulled her jacket tightly around her body.

All 4 Serpents were feeling anxious never having been on a plane before. “It’s almost our turn.” Toni mumbled, getting the attention of the group.

“This way please.” A young, male TSA agent motioned towards Toni. He looked her up and down slowly, admiring her full chest a hair longer than he should have.

“Are these okay to take on board?” Toni jested, pointing to her boobs. She wanted to call him out for his gawking but she couldn’t lie that it fed her ego a bit. She wanted to watch him squirm.

“I....I ummm...I’m sorry ma’am, please remove your shoes and walk through the scanner.” the agent stammered.

Toni smirked cockily, popped her gum and began unlacing her combat boots. She walked through with no issues.

Sweet Pea huffed loudly as he saw his friend get eye fucked, shooting the TSA agent one last threatening glare before he walked through.

They arrived at their gate with time to spare. Toni was thumbing through a magazine, filling out one of the stupid “Is Your Partner the Perfect Match” Quizzes even though she was single as single could be when….

“Holy shit guys!” Fangs shouted as he held up his phone.

Toni widened her eyes in shock and dropped the magazine from her small hands. “What the fuck Fangs, what is it?”

The dark haired boy held up his phone screen again, clenching it tightly in his tanned hand. “That boy from New York that I’ve been talking too. The one who went to Riverdale High...”

Toni nodded, remembering Fangs ranting about the boy he had met during a weekend in New York.

“He is going to Vegas this weekend, what are the odds?” He exclaimed, white teeth on full display. “But....wait...” he stopped and squinted his eyes at the screen. “Oh.....Jug?”

Jughead rose his beanie clad head up from his book in acknowledgment.

“Betty Cooper is tagged...I guess she knows him…?” Fangs trailed off.

Jughead removed his beanie and rubbed his hand through this dark hair. “A name I haven’t heard in awhile...” he mused.

Toni watched Jughead expectantly. She didn’t know too much about Betty. She remembered Jughead dating her in high school, always sneaking off to the Northside against his father F.P.’s wishes. Apparently F.P. and Betty’s mom Alice used to have a thing when she was a Serpent. Toni didn’t know much more than that, not caring to associate herself with Northside drama. She gave Jughead a sympathetic smile when he glanced her way.

“Boarding Gate 4 to Las Vegas” a voice announced over the speaker, interrupting the Serpent's conversation.

“That’s us boys.” Toni said giddily jumping up and skipping towards the gate.

When they boarded the plane, the seats were 3x3 and Toni opted for the window seat. Sweet Pea sat next to her and Fangs on the aisle. Jughead sat across the aisle from Fangs.

Toni looked out the window at the runway excitedly, stomach fluttering with nerves. She was really doing this. She couldn’t remember the last time she had spent money on herself, besides basic living expenses. Her bartending gig at the Serpent bar the Whyte Worm only covered so much. All her earnings went to caring for her ailing grandfather or directly back into helping the Serpents.

Once the plane started to taxi Toni grew a little more nervous. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself. She had never left New York before and now she was going to be 30,000 feet above it.

Sweet Pea noticed his friend growing more anxious by the second. She gripped the armrest tightly once take off had begun. “Toni.” He whispered.

The pink haired girl opened one eye to look at him.

“We are snakes on a plane. Mother fucking snakes on a mother fucking plane.” He laughed to himself.

Toni cracked a smile, maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad.


	3. This isn't the Real Caesars Palace..is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting interesting... From here on out there will be Choni interaction in every chapter. Happy Season 4 tomorrow. RIP Luke and Fred, it will be an emotional episode.

Cheryl’s flight landed on time and smoothly in Vegas. She was pleased that there was no turbulence and that she was able to sleep for most of the trip. As soon as she stepped foot in the airport she saw the flashy “Welcome to Las Vegas” signs and rolled her eyes at the sight.

“I see you being all pouty already.” Veronica said, nudging Cheryl with her shoulder.

“I’m not, just taking in the scenery.” Cheryl clarified as she scanned the luggage return for her bag.

“Great! Because we have a fun night ahead of us. Guess where we are staying friends?” the Latina asked loudly.

“The Bellagio? The Four Seasons? Oh! Or the Five Seasons? Skylofts?” Kevin asked excitedly clasping his hands together.

Veronica’s eyes glowed with mystery. “No guys! Caesars Palace!”

The raven haired girl was met with a murmur of excitement from the group. 

“V, that sounds awesome..it’s just so ...not you.” Betty laughed lightly.

“We appreciate it Veronica..it’s just so touristy of you.” Kevin agreed smiling.

“It’s from the Hangover guys, it will be fun, it is still a luxury. Plus this is just the Pre-Bachelorette party, you already know I am taking all your asses to Italy for the real deal.” Veronica stated nonchalantly.

Cheryl smiled at her friend in amusement. “V..we would all be happy in a Days Inn. I’ll get us an Uber.” she offered.

The ride to the hotel was quick and the group filtered into the lobby to check in. 

“Room 747” the concierge said handing Veronica the key card. Veronica nodded in thanks and lead everyone to the elevator, skipping as she did.

To say Cheryl was overwhelmed with the atmosphere would be an understatement. She gripped her bag harshly as her eyes quickly scanned the lobby. It was pretty, the architecture was stunning and she knew she would have fun with her friends but she always carried that pit in her stomach. The feeling that something could go wrong at any time. The feeling that she could mess up at any given moment. That she may not be wearing the right outfit or saying the right thing. Jason’s death had brought up these feelings tenfold and Heather dumping her with no explanation had her feeling more worthless than she ever had. Years with Penelope Blossom as a mother would do that to you. Never living up to her expectations, being too ugly to look at some days, not being as smart as Jason, hell even causing her brother to die….

“Cheryl.” Josie called gently, gripping her wrist lightly.

“Sorry.” the redhead mumbled as she followed her friends, slinging her bag higher on her shoulder.

Veronica scanned the key in the slot and opened the door to the room theatrically. 

Cheryl gawked at the room. Windows from floor to ceiling overlooking the strip, a large white sectional wrapping around a marble coffee table, a sleek wooden dining table, a flat screen TV mounted on the wall, and a full kitchen. 

“Alright guys, we have 4 beds, so Betty if you want to share with me, everyone else will have their own space.” Veronica stated as she walked into one of the rooms.

“Works for me.” the blonde shrugged following her.

Cheryl took one of the kings and unpacked her bag slowly. She sat down on the large white bed, sinking into it slightly. A soft knock on the door grabbed her attention.

“You okay?” Veronica asked softly from the doorway.

Cheryl nodded slowly, biting back tears. God she hated that she was like this, overwhelmed so easily.

“I know you don’t like the noise and the crowds sometimes. Let me know if it gets to be too much okay?” the dark haired girl offered.

“I’ll be fine V.” Cheryl reassured giving her a soft smile.

*****  
Toni gave the biggest sigh of relief as the plane landed in Vegas. Sweet Pea had spent the whole flight drooling on her shoulder and snoring in her ear. No matter how many times she tried to shrug him off, his big body fell right back down. He jolted awake as the plane's wheels touched down.

“Wow ...I can get used to flying, you close your eyes in one city and wake up in another.” he said stretching and yawning loudly.

“Yeah..it’s so great.” Toni said rolling her eyes and fixing her jacket.

Toni begrudgingly stomped off the plane feeling far too crabby for her liking.

“Pep up Toni, look we can gamble right at the airport.” Fangs said slinging an arm around her shoulder and giving her a gleaming white grin.

“I’ll call us an Uber, where are we staying?” Toni asked. She reluctantly had let the boys plan the whole trip. A gift for becoming Serpent Queen.

“Duh, Caesars Palace” Sweet Pea said.

“Like the Hangover T.” Fangs said grinning again.

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Why did I even ask?”

The Uber drove the Serpents to the hotel and dropped them off. They walked heavily across the polished floor in their combat boots up to the front desk.

“Hi.” Toni said flashing a smile. “Reservation for Jones.”

“Perfect, room 747.” the concierge said handing Toni the key cards. She gave a two finger salute and lead the group to the elevator.

“Alright guys, this is it!” Toni said giddily as she scanned the card into the slot and pulled the door open.

Her eyes scanned the large room, pausing to admire the windows overlooking the city. Fangs ran straight over to a bottle of champagne sitting on an end table in the main room. His hand froze as he went to grab it.

“What’s wrong Fa…”Jughead started to say but immediately turned white. 

An ear piercing scream rang out causing everyone to stand in shock. Standing in the kitchen was none other than Jughead’s ex Betty Cooper, completely naked except for a towel wrapped around her middle. She pulled it tightly to her body trying her best to remain covered.

“What in the actual fuck..” Toni muttered, recognizing the girl from Jughead’s photos.

Everyone had run out of their respective rooms to see what the commotion was. 

“Kevin!” Fangs exclaimed.

“Fangs!” Kevin responded, running over to embrace the leather clad boy.

“Wait..what is going on here?” Veronica asked furrowing her brow in confusion. She looked between Kevin and Fangs, arching an eyebrow for an explanation.

“Hey, I didn’t know he was staying here, I didn’t even know where we were staying, remember?” Kevin explained nervously watching Veronica.

Toni looked around the room, regretting the fact that she had let the boys plan this. Her eyes paused at the door frame of one of the rooms. A redhead girl was leaning on the frame watching the interaction from afar. Toni inhaled sharply. She was gorgeous. Red hair flowing down her back, tight black leggings hugging her hips, a red top slightly exposing the pale skin of her toned stomach, and blood red lips that had Toni’s mouth watering. Toni tilted her head at the girl like she was a curious puppy.

“I will handle this Veronica.” The mystery girl announced, pushing herself off the door frame. Her red heels clicked across the tiled floor as she walked.

“Cheryl, no I will go down, don’t worry about it.” Veronica said rubbing her temples.

Cheryl...so her name was Cheryl. Toni was definitely intrigued.

“No Ronnie, this is your Bachelorette weekend, let me handle it.” Cheryl insisted as she walked towards the exit.

Toni followed quickly at her heels. “And I will handle it from our end guys. 

Sweet Pea chuckled watching his friend chase after the redhead. “Okay Toni.”

***  
Cheryl quickly walked to the elevator, trying to lose the pink haired girl. Toni she had heard the tall man say. 

“Hey wait up.” Toni called, panting slightly as she stumbled into the elevator with Cheryl.

Cheryl rolled her eyes and clicked the button for the lobby repeatedly.

“Kinda funny how two groups from New York end up booked in the same room.” Toni chuckled trying to make conversation. “And even more crazy that some of us know each other, what are the odds? It’s like fate or something. Do you believe in fate?” the pink haired girl continued to chat despite no reaction from the redhead.

Cheryl stood still looking at the reflective doors of the elevator, not even acknowledging the tan skinned girl.

“So you guys are here for a Bachelorette party?” Toni asked politely, trying to get the girl to talk again.

Cheryl turned slowly to face her. “Yes, now please, can you be quiet?”

Toni blinked in confusion and mumbled something about hot girls being rude for no reason.

“What was that?” Cheryl asked sharply as the elevator dinged.

“Nothing.” Toni said sweetly.

“Just let me do the talking.” Cheryl said. She wrung her hands together nervously, took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked confidently over to the front desk, heels stomping with a purpose.

Toni sighed heavily and followed behind her as she charged towards the front desk. She watched Cheryl interacting with the concierge, and she looked to be getting more frustrated by the second. She saw the boy shake his head “no” slowly as Cheryl pointed a manicured nail at him in reprimand. Toni giggled to herself. She had only just met the redhead but she could only imagine the mouth full the poor boy was getting.

Cheryl turned on her heel and angrily walked back towards Toni. “Unbelievable. How does a reputable hotel in Vegas double book a fucking room! All he gave me for the inconvenience was a damn voucher for a free meal at the buffet.”

“Can I take a stab at it?” Toni asked batting her eyes and walking towards the front desk, a slight sway to her hips.

Cheryl scoffed eyeing the symbol on the back of Toni’s jacket. “Whatever Serpent.” 

Toni approached the concierge with a playful smile on her face. “Hey, sorry about my friend over there.” she motioned with her thumb towards the redhead. “Her friend is getting married, she just wants to make sure she has a good weekend. Now, I work in customer service too…” she began, thinking of the dark, dingy bar on the Southside. Not quite the same as a Vegas hotel but it would do for now. “I know there is something that can always be done.” Toni said, glancing down at the golden name plate on the boys chest “Derek..look, I don’t want to have to go to your manager.” she twirled a pink strand of hair in her thin fingers, giving the boy another grin. 

He exhaled loudly and opened the drawer of his desk. “Look...I can upgrade you guys to a penthouse suite. You can all move there or one of you can keep the room and one can take the larger suite. I don’t care. Just please, I am on thin ice as it is.” 

Toni gave him a satisfied smirk. “That sounds good, but...the bride to be...she is super upset...devastated even. She is kind of superstitious and she is taking this all as a sign to call off the engagement.” she picked the black polish on her nails as she spoke.

Derek sighed again and pulled out a neon green flyer. “How many people total in this mixup?”

“Nine of us.” Toni reported.

The concierge pulled nine wristbands off the roll he had in the drawer and placed them in Toni’s hand. “These will get you VIP access tomorrow to all the bars and clubs on this list.” he slid the green flyer towards her. “Access starts at 8 and goes all night until 5 am.”

Toni gave him a huge grin. “Thank you Derek, I think this will make the bride very happy.” Toni gave his arm a quick squeeze before turning back towards Cheryl. She held the bands, flyer, and key card behind her back as she walked toward the redhead. She hung her head in defeat to help the act.

Cheryl greeted her with a smirk. “Too bad, I knew there was nothing you could do different than me.”

Toni exposed the flyer, key card, and wrist bands and gave Cheryl a cocky smile. “Aww and I was hoping you and I could share a bedroom in our new penthouse suite.”

Cheryl’s mouth flew open with shock and her face flushed red. No one embarrassed Cheryl Blossom.


	4. Lap Naps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, welcome back to this little story. Thank you for sticking around. Things continue to build as we reach some major drama and shenanigans. We will continue to peel back all the layers that are Cheryl and Toni, we have barely scratched the surface. Talk to me on Twitter...I need Choni friends. @tonicheryltopaz.

Cheryl stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest, an annoyed scowl plastered on her face. Everyone was in the middle of the hotel room fawning over Toni. 

“I can’t believe you got a Penthouse upgrade and free VIP for all of us! That’s why you are the Serpent Queen Toni, you get shit done.” Sweet Pea said, giving Toni a firm pat on the back.

Cheryl rolled her eyes again, of course she was the “Queen”. The girl did seem to hold herself well, she definitely showed no fear towards Cheryl. Cheryl used to thrive on intimidation, she could see that would not work on the pink haired girl which annoyed her even more.

Toni blushed lightly and angled a hand towards Cheryl. “It wasn't me guys, Red got him warmed up for me.”

The group turned their glances towards the redhead in the corner of the room, as if they forgot she was there.

“Great team work you two, what do you say we all start moving upstairs?” Veronica suggested.

Hold on...she can’t be serious. Cheryl felt rage build up inside her chest. She did not want to freak out in front of everyone ...yet. “Veronica, a word please?” she said sweetly.

Veronica nodded and walked towards her friend. “Of course, excuse me everyone.”

Veronica followed Cheryl into her room as the redhead closed the door firmly behind them.

“Veronica..have you lost your mind? Move upstairs? We don’t know these people. Just give them the damn penthouses and we can stay here.” Cheryl hissed.

Veronica gave her a soft smile and grasped her hand lightly. “Cheryl, it will be okay, trust me. And it will be fun, the more the merrier. It’s not like they are complete strangers. Betty and I know Jughead, Kevin knows Fangs, and Josie seems to have taken a liking to that tall one with the neck tattoo.” She paused slightly, a mischievous grin taking over her face. “Plus, that pink haired one seems to already be taking a liking towards you.”

Cheryl clenched her fists with anger, that was the last thing she wanted to hear. “Whatever you think is going to happen this weekend, forget it. I know you want me to loosen up, you want me to forget about Heather, you want me to have fun but I will not be forced into anything. This is literally how people end up dead in the gutter. They are in a gang for God’s sake.”

Veronica’s face softened again. “Cheryl, I would never want to do anything to make you feel uncomfortable. I can assure you the gang affiliation shouldn't worry you. I have actually been sniffing around the Southside for some new business ventures. The Serpents are legit, they are not anything like they were when we were growing up. The last thing I want is for you to feel unsafe. I can tell them we will stay in the room, okay?”

Cheryl rolled her eyes in frustration. “I don’t want to be the one to ruin this for everyone, we can move upstairs with them. Just know that I will be on high alert...Can we still do our dinner with just our group tonight though please?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Veronica said, pulling her friend in a tight embrace. “Now let’s watch those Serpents carry our luggage.” she suggested, moving her eyebrows up and down.

“Veronica, you are an engaged woman.” Cheryl said dramatically putting her hand over her chest.

The raven haired girl shrugged innocently. “Doesn’t mean I can’t look.”

Cheryl shook her head and followed her friend back out of the room.

****  
Toni was over the moon to be moving up to the penthouse. Her and the other Serpents quickly moved everyone’s luggage. Toni had enthusiastically offered to carry Cheryl’s for her, but the girl declined faster than Toni could get the words out to ask.

“Tired of getting shot down yet?” Fangs snickered.

Toni huffed. “I don’t give up easily, she is gorgeous.” Toni eyed Cheryl one more time before the redhead caught her looking and shook her head.

“What are the plans for tonight boys?” Toni asked, rummaging through her bag to find an outfit.

“Hit up as many bars as possible, maybe a strip club? Anything will beat the sleazy joints on the Southside.” Sweet Pea said laughing.

“Will you guys be joining us?” Fangs asked looking towards Kevin.

He shook his head. “No, we have a dinner reservation tonight, but we can party in here after if you guys aren’t out too late.” he suggested.

Fangs grinned at him. “Hmmm..okay, how about you just wait up for me?”

Toni laughed at her friend flirting with such a clean cut boy. She was used to watching him try to pick up guys at the Wyrm. She decided to throw out her own comment. “How about you Cheryl? Will you wait up for me?” Toni asked batting her eyelashes at the girl.

The only response Toni got was a door to the face. Sweet Pea laughed from the couch he was lounging on.

“God Toni, now this is just getting pathetic.” the tall boy said.

Josie was sitting close by Sweet Pea and chimed in. “She’s a hard one to crack, but once you do, you have the fiercest, most loyal friend you could ask for.”

Toni smiled fondly. She was determined to at least get this girls number before the weekend was over.

****  
Cheryl sat at dinner with her friends, swirling a glass of wine in her perfectly manicured hand. She listened to her friends laugh and chat idly as she sipped on the dry liquid. She was trying to focus on the conversation but her mind was elsewhere. Before they had departed for dinner, she had seen Toni dressed and ready for a night out with her friends. Cheryl was cursing herself for the way she was thinking about the pink haired girl. She looked amazing in her black tight jeans, heeled boots, and purple crop top. Her eye twitched at the thought of the shorts girls toned stomach. The caramel skin looked smooth and soft. Her hair had been thrown up in a high ponytail, with some pink pieces falling down alongside her face. She had thrown Cheryl a wink when she had departed, leaving Cheryl feeling something she hadn’t felt in some time. She felt excited, she felt pursued, she felt sexy. Cheryl squinted her eyes tightly as she thought about all the eyes that would be plastered to Toni’s body tonight. Her stomach churned at the thought. Where was this coming from?

“Earth to Cheryl.” Kevin said poking his friend in the side. “We are toasting to Veronica.”

Cheryl held up her glass, not even realizing it was her turn to speak. Everyone was looking at her expectantly as she cleared her throat “Veronica, I am so glad you have found love in Archie. No one deserves it more than you do. You have done so much for me in the past two years, I would not be where I am or who I am without you. So, I plan to make the most of this weekend and I hope you do the same. I love you V.”

Everyone shared smiles and clinked their glasses together.

The group retired back to the room early in order to rest up for their day tomorrow. Cheryl was not ready for bed yet so she sat on the couch nursing another glass of wine. She heard someone in the kitchen and turned to see her cousin Betty bundled up in a white, fluffy robe.

“Can’t sleep?” Cheryl asked curiously.

Betty sighed heavily and walked over to Cheryl. “To be honest, I told Jughead I would wait up for him tonight so we could talk. I am a bit nervous. It has been so long since we have talked but I would like to just catch up, ya know?”

Cheryl nodded in understanding. She glanced at the clock 12 AM. She anticipated the group would not be back for quite some time. “You are welcome to keep me company out here if you want.”

Betty nodded and snuggled into the couch, pulling the fluffy robe tightly around her body. The two girls chatted and flipped through the TV channels aimlessly. About two hours into their ‘Chopped’ marathon, the room door swung open. The roar of sound that came from the hallway was overpowering. Heavy footsteps thudded on the tile floor as the group of Serpents entered the room. Goofy smiles were plastered on all their faces. Fangs immediately ducked into Kevin’s room, kicking a tired Josie out into the hallway and slamming the door behind her. Sweet Pea gave her a soft smile and lead her to the couch to sit and talk. Jughead quickly made his way over to Betty, extended his hand and lead her into her room to talk as well. That left a drunk Toni Topaz standing in the middle of the room. She swayed on her feet, trying to stay balanced on her heeled boots. Cheryl couldn’t help but smile slightly at the small girl. Toni made eye contact with her and gave her a silly grin. Her eyes were red and glazed over from the alcohol. Cheryl could smell it from the couch.

“Want to know something?” the pink haired girl asked.

Cheryl rose an eyebrow in response, taking another gulp of wine.

“I saw a lot of girls out tonight ...beautiful girls. None of them looked nearly as gorgeous as you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all night.” Toni slurred.

Cheryl’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re drunk,” were the only words she managed to get out.

Toni shrugged. “Yeah. Doesn’t mean you are not gorgeous though.” 

Cheryl tried her best to fight a smile, trying to remember the last time someone told her she was beautiful. Heather had of course, but that was in the beginning of the relationship, after that it felt like it was forced. Toni said it so effortlessly that it took Cheryl’s breath away.

“Can I sit by you?” Toni asked as she continued to sway on her feet.

Cheryl looked at the large couch, there was plenty of room despite Sweet Pea and Josie sitting on one end in deep conversation. “Whatever.” she mumbled.

Toni happily bounded over and plopped down next to Cheryl on the couch. She began leaning down trying to maneuver her boots off. Cheryl let her struggle for a few seconds until she huffed in annoyance and leaned down to help her. 

“Sit up.” Cheryl instructed.

Toni did as she was told and watched the redhead intently. Cheryl unlaced the boots and slid them off Toni’s small feet, dropping them down onto the tiled floor. 

“Thank you.” Toni said grinning at the other girl.

Cheryl nodded and went back to watching TV. She felt Toni’s eyes boring into the side of her head. 

“Stop staring.” she mumbled.

“I can’t help it. You really are the most beautiful person I have ever laid eyes on.” Toni responded.

“Toni, always the smooth talker even when she is hammered.” Sweet Pea laughed from the corner, still nestled close to Josie.

Cheryl squinted her eyes with anger. She knew there was something about Toni. A smooth talker. She is probably used to getting whoever she wanted by being charming. Cheryl Blossom was not going to fall victim to that enchantment. She cursed herself for thinking she was special in this stranger’s eyes.

“What’s your favorite color? What do you like to do in your spare time? What’s your favorite movie? Favorite food? Deepest secret?” Toni started rambling off questions, not even giving Cheryl a chance to answer. Her voice heavily slurred.

Cheryl paused for a second, blinking in surprise. The pink haired girl was not even phased by the comment from her friend. Cheryl began answering deciding to entertain the drunk girl. “Red. Study. Titanic. Zucchini noodles. And if I told you I would have to kill you.” Cheryl said shrugging and polishing off her glass of wine.

Toni’s eyes widened in fascination and her lips curled into a smirk. “I want to know everything about you, but I am so tired.” she yawned.

Cheryl ignored her and continued to watched ‘Chopped’. She glanced over and saw that Sweet Pea and Josie had fallen asleep mid conversation. She smiled at her friend, happy that she was getting out of her comfort zone and talking to Sweet Pea. She switched off the TV and was about to get up when Toni’s small body fell right down into her lap. Cheryl opened her mouth to yell at the other girl to get off of her but there laid Toni. Pink hair falling over her face, mouth hung slightly open as she dozed peacefully in Cheryl’s lap. Instead of shoving the girl off, Cheryl nestled into the back of the couch and closed her eyes, letting the short girl snore peacefully in her lap.


	5. High School Magic Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Here is the next chapter of my little fic. There is big stuff happening. I was going to put it all in this chapter, but I did not want to rush some of the conversations and moments these two are going to have coming up. I appreciate everyone who takes their time to read this and I love the comments and feedback. Stick around because we are going to be riding on this rollercoaster together. I am still looking for friends to talk Choni with on Twitter, so feel free to talk or follow me @tonicheryltopaz. Enjoy and thanks again. I was so scared to put my writing out there but even if just one person reads this I am happy. Peace! :)

Toni opened her eyes slowly, immediately tasting stagnant tequila on her tongue. She had lost count of how many shots she had taken last night and the headache settling in was a reminder of those. Her legs felt sore, walking in those heeled boots all over the strip was not the best choice. She went to stretch her limbs when she stopped suddenly, feeling slender arms wrapped around her middle. She felt a full chest pressed against her back and smiled despite herself. She did her best not to move her body as she turned her head slightly to see who had her encompassed in a bear hug. She knew who she wanted it to be. She felt soft breath on her neck and saw the familiar red hair hiding the pretty face she knew to be Cheryl Blossom. She smiled contentedly to herself wondering how they ended up in this predicament. She remembers coming home and remembers seeing Cheryl on the couch but that was it. Toni relaxed a bit more into the girls embrace and closed her eyes. The pink haired girl was surprised that she was enjoying someone holding her. She made a point to never cuddle with anyone. After she was done with a guy or girl she would bounce before she could fall asleep or even risk the level of intimacy that laying with someone could bring. No matter how many girls batted their pretty eyes and no matter how many guys tried to wrap an arm around her waist, she was gone. But this...this was different.

She heard Cheryl let out an adorable, sleepy sigh. Toni waited for the reaction, waited to be pushed flat onto the tiled floor. Instead she felt Cheryl’s body tenses, most likely realizing who was in her arms. Much to Toni’s surprise Cheryl relaxed and gripped Toni’s body a little tighter. The pink haired girl wanted to get up, but she was going to allow herself a few more minutes of this bliss. 

“Would you look at that?” Toni heard Josie’s smooth voice say from the other end of the sectional.

“Awwww...look at little Toni. Hell must’ve froze over, I have never seen that girl cuddle. So soft of her.” Sweet Pea whispered, a loud laugh slipping from his mouth.

Toni immediately felt Cheryl’s arms release her when she heard Sweet Pea’s laugh. She missed the warmth the second it was gone.

“Get off me Serpent.” the redhead hissed sitting up on the couch and running a hand through her red hair.

Toni smirked at her. “You get off me, you are the one that had me in a vice grip.”

Josie and Sweet Pea snickered again from their corner. “Chill out guys, you just dozed off together, like me and this lug did. They had plenty to drink last night.” Josie laughed and punched Sweet Pea lightly in the shoulder as she got up.

Cheryl’s face remained stoic. “You did have a lot to drink last night.” she murmured at Toni.

Toni shrugged. “Maybe...but I will be recharged by tonight, don’t you worry your pretty little head.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes and got up to go to her room.

“Cuddling now Toni?” Sweet Pea asked gruffly as he rubbed his temples, battling a headache of his own.

Toni laid back down on the couch, not quite ready to feel the full effects of her hangover. “Purely a drunken mishap. Like Josie said we dozed off and that was that.”

Sweet Pea looked at her quizzically. “Or this girl is different.”

Toni shook her head in disagreement. “Nah, all girls are the same. No matter how beautiful they are.”

“Good morning friendsssssss.” Fangs sing songed as he swung open the door from Kevin’s room.

Toni smiled widely at her friend, thankful that he interrupted the third degree from Sweet Pea. “I see you avoided feeling like shit this morning.” she noted.

“Water, Toni. You must hydrate in between drinks. Pop some Ibuprofen when you get home and get into bed with someone hot. Stop acting like an amateur T.” he laughed eyeing Kevin as the taller boy walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

“Well she didn’t get into bed with anyone, but she did cuddle on the couch with Cheryl, it was sooooo cute.” Sweet Pea said in a high-pitched voice.

Fangs’ mouth curled into a smirk and he jumped onto the couch next to Toni. “Did you now?”

“It was nothing, let’s get Jug and grab some breakfast, we need to gear up for our night.” Toni said, finally getting up off the couch, leaving the two boys giggling behind her.

********

Cheryl was pacing back and forth around her room, trying to figure out why she was so bent out of shape about sleeping with Toni. Well, she didn’t really “sleep” with Toni, but she did sleep by Toni. She had to admit, it was nice to hold someone again. This girl was a stranger though. A stranger who was from the Southside, a stranger that is the leader of a gang. Cheryl believed in order. She breathed perfection. She did not like to veer from her norms, when she did, well she felt like this. Out of control.

Josie opened the door to her room, bringing her a warm cup of coffee. “Morning girl.”

Cheryl smiled; Josie always relaxed her. “Good morning.”

“I see that look, talk to me.” Josie said sitting on the edge of the bed.

Cheryl ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip, contemplating how she could explain this feeling. “Josie...why are you talking to Sweet Pea. You seem so comfortable with him; you don’t even know him.” she said uneasily.

Josie gave Cheryl a sad smile “Cheryl, it is okay to feel comfortable with Toni. You have been out of your relationship for a while now, you don’t owe Heather anything, and you owe yourself everything.”

Cheryl shook her head in frustration. “Please just answer my question.”

Josie sighed and took a sip of her coffee. “I don’t know. He is a nice guy, he is adorable.” she swooned. “He looks like a hardass but I have already learned he is a big softie. It’s not like I want to start anything. It doesn’t mean I want to see him when we get home. I just like being able to connect with someone who doesn’t know me outside of here. He doesn’t know the Josie that lives in New York. The one that struggles with a music career, the one that takes criticism personally, the one that convinces herself she has no time for a relationship. I can just be. I can relax and have fun here. I can be who I want to be. I can show him a side of me that has been hidden away because I let life get in the way. I don’t owe him anything and I like that.”

Cheryl nodded slowly taking in everything her friend was saying. “That sounds ...that sounds kind of nice.” she admitted.

Josie nodded. “Yup, and I am pretty sure he is doing the same thing. Just having genuine fun, not thinking about the heavy stuff that awaits us on Monday.”

Cheryl nodded again and sipped on her coffee slowly. “Thanks Josie.”

******

The two groups spent the day separately, exploring the city, gambling, and lounging by the pool. They were all excited for the night out, ready to take full advantage of the VIP access.

“So... I was thinking. Maybe just 1-2 drinks at each bar so we can try to get to as many as possible.” Veronica suggested as she applied mascara to her long lashes.

Cheryl, Veronica, Josie, Betty, and Kevin were all in the large bathroom lined up in front of the wall length mirror.

“That sounds good V.” Betty responded, holding a couple different dresses up to her reflection.

Cheryl was taking Josie’s advice to heart, planning to try and have genuine fun tonight. She was working steadily on her makeup, making a point to stand out tonight. Making her eye shadow a tad darker, and making her lips a lot redder. 

“Kevin, why don’t you go grab Toni, I am sure she would much rather get ready with us here then with those boys.” Veronica suggested.

Cheryl swore she saw a hint of mischief in Veronica’s dark eyes.

“Sure thing.” Kevin responded, trotting out to find the pink haired girl.

Veronica watched Cheryl apply her makeup and her lips curled into a large grin. “Is that Cheryl Bombshell I see? I haven’t seen her since high school.”

“Bombshell? I like that.” A raspy voice said from the bathroom door.

Cheryl’s eyes shot up as she spotted the shorter girl in the reflection behind her. She had to clench her jaw tightly so that it wouldn’t fall open. Toni was wearing tight jeans again, making her curves looks irresistible. Her abs were exposed too, and Cheryl saw the sparkle of a belly button piercing. She definitely didn’t have that piercing in last night, Cheryl would have remembered seeing that. Her crop top was a vibrant yellow, making her caramel skin pop that much more. What really had Cheryl staring was that hair. Although the pink seemed childish at first, she couldn’t deny that it looked amazing on Toni. Her hair was down in loose waves, falling over her shoulders perfectly. She wanted to run her hand through it…just once.

“It was her nickname in high school.” Veronica answered.

Toni smiled to herself in amusement. “It suits you…especially with the way you have your makeup done tonight…and please tell me that you are wearing that dress.” Toni said pointing to the red dress hung on the door.

Cheryl nodded in confirmation.

“A woman of many words.” Toni chuckled as she sat on the edge of the long sink watching Cheryl curiously.

“Are the boys almost ready Toni?” Betty asked.

She rolled eyes. “Of course, they have been ready for a while. I was trying to get them not to start drinking here.”

“I will go handle them.” Betty said laughing, taking one last glance in the mirror.

“Okay, finishing touches ladies, let’s be out of her in 10.” Veronica ordered.

Toni continued to sit on the sink, playing on her phone while the other girls were finishing up.

“Okay, I am ready.” Josie said quickly exiting the bathroom.

“Me too... Josie help me put on my shoes.” Veronica said following her, leaving Cheryl and Toni alone in the bathroom.

“They aren’t subtle.” Toni chuckled.

“Not at all.” Cheryl mumbled. “Now please if you could turn your peeping eyes away, I need to put on my dress.”

Toni shook her head in disbelief and covered her eyes with both hands. Cheryl stepped into her red dress, admiring herself in the mirror. It had been awhile since she had dressed like this. She was always in business clothes for work or dress clothes for class. When she did go out, Heather was the one that wanted to stand out. Cheryl usually wore something simple, while her ex-girlfriend pulled out all the stops on her outfit. Cheryl gave herself a small smile when she saw the way the dress pushed up her chest. It was a one shoulder that accentuated her curves and had a slit up the side, exposing her long, pale legs. Her pale shoulder was left exposed sexily. She huffed in frustration when she could not reach the zipper on the back.

“A little help.” Cheryl stated annoyingly and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

Toni uncovered her eyes and they widened when she saw the dress on Cheryl. “Holy shit Bombshell, that dress was made for you.”

“I know.” She shrugged cockily. “Please zip me.”

Toni walked up behind her and grasped the tiny zipper between her fingers. She did her best not to stare at the exposed skin of Cheryl’s back as she moved the zipper upwards slowly. Her fingers brushed against Cheryl’s skin involuntarily as the zipper went up. She swore she heard Cheryl’s breath hitch. Once the dress was zipped Toni stood for a moment, caught up in the smell of Cheryl’s perfume. 

“Thanks.” Cheryl mumbled softly. She flattened the front of the dress with her hands and was out of the bathroom before Toni could even process what had just happened.

****

The group got to the first bar and Veronica’s “one to two drinks at each bar” rule was quickly out the window. VIP really did mean VIP. The group was led to a private area where they were served drinks quickly. Toni was determined to take it slow and pace herself but Veronica kept ordering shot after shot. By the time they got to the second bar Toni was feeling good. Cheryl hadn’t talked to her all night, not leaving Josie’s side for more than a minute. Luckily for Toni the more drunk Josie got, the more she gravitated towards Sweet Pea. At the third club, Toni finally found herself seated at the bar next to Cheryl. The music was incredibly loud so Toni had to lean in close so the redhead could hear here. “Can I get you a drink Bombshell?” 

Cheryl shrugged, barely making eye contact with Toni.

“Two shots of whiskey and something sweet for this one.” Toni said angling a thumb towards Cheryl.

The bartender nodded and quickly poured the two shots, slid them across the bar and went to work making Cheryl’s drink. Toni was feeling the effects of the alcohol she had already consumed as she struggled to pull a tip out of her pocket for the bartender. When she finally got the cash on the bar she went to grab her shots. One glass was already empty and the other was on the red lips of Cheryl Blossom. Toni looked up at Cheryl with wide eyes. The redhead looked at her coyly as a pink tongue darted out to lick the remnants of whiskey off. 

“Holy fuck Bombshell..you ...are so hot right now…” Toni breathed leaning in slightly.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Cheryl responded leaning back, eyes glittering with mischief.

“Cheryl!” a voice yelled from behind the pair. 

It was Betty wearing a distressed look on her face. “Cheryl, I got to go. Jug and I are going to take Veronica back to the room. She uh..she threw up on the dance floor and I don’t want us all to get kicked out because of it.”

Cheryl stood up quickly from the stool, gripping the bar firmly when she realized she was a bit tipsy herself. “I can take her Betty, you and Jughead should stay.”

Toni looked down in disappointment, sipping on the fruity drink she had got for Cheryl.

“I can walk you guys.” Toni offered.

“No, really Cheryl, I can take her. You stay and have fun.” Betty said smiling widely.

Cheryl bit her lip anxiously. She did kind of want to stay. It was only 10:00 after all. “Okay….” she said unsurely. “But if you need me, please text me right away.”

Betty nodded firmly and gave them one last parting smiling before walking back towards the dance floor to collect their drunk friend.

“You ready for the next place?” Toni asked loudly.

Cheryl nodded and went to go find Josie.

*****

The next bar was even louder than the last. Strobe lights lit up the dance floor and bass pounded through the speakers. Sweet Pea had swept Josie right to the dance floor as soon as they stepped in. Kevin and Fangs had disappeared into the crowd as well, leaving the two girls on their own again.

“So...since I know you can shoot whiskey now..how about two more shots?” Toni asked directly into Cheryl’s ear.

The redhead shivered slightly and nodded. The alcohol had her feeling warmer by the minute. The pair each took a shot, letting the whiskey burn their throats.

“Do you want to dance?” Toni asked the redhead cocking her head slightly.

“Not really.” she responded.

Toni pursed her lips in thought trying to figure out how to get this girl out of her shell. “Want to see a party trick?” 

“Why not?” Cheryl mumbled.

Toni ordered another shot from the bartender...this had to be at least 10 by now. She set the shot down on the bar, took a small lighter out of her pocket and lit the top of the shot on fire. She brought it to her plump lips, and delicately extinguished the fire with her breath right before she downed the whole thing.

Cheryl raised her eyebrows, only slightly impressed. “That was….entertaining Toni Topaz but you will have to do a bit more than a high school magic trick to impress me.”

Toni dropped her shoulders in defeat.

“I got one for you though, I actually haven’t done it in years so I am a bit nervous...and tipsy so….” Cheryl trailed off.

Toni grabbed her hand impulsively, the alcohol giving her confidence. “I want to see.”

Cheryl nodded once and she grabbed the attention of the bartender and whispered what she needed in his ear. He gave her a small smile and disappeared into what Toni presumed was a kitchen. He came back with a large bottle of champagne and a knife. He placed both in Cheryl’s hands. Cheryl delicately removed the foil from the bottle and stood up in front of Toni. She watched as Toni’s white teeth bit her plump bottom lip in anticipation. Cheryl kept her eyes locked with Toni’s the whole time. She sabered the bottle of champagne, opening it perfectly and never breaking eye contact with the pink haired girl. There were cheers from bystanders as well which made Cheryl’s chest ache with pride.

“Cheryl! Wow! You didn’t even watch to see what you were doing! Consider me impressed.” Toni gushed. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

Cheryl shrugged nonchalantly. “My parents used to host dinner parties all the time, I acquired the skill over time to ‘wow’ daddy’s business partners.” 

Toni nodded in appreciation. “Well your trick definitely beat my high school magic.” she laughed.

Cheryl felt her whole body grow warmer than it already was. That laugh. So pure, falling from those pink lips, it was music to her ears. Cheryl brought the champagne bottle up to her red lips and took a swig. She watched Toni carefully for a reaction. She saw one immediately. Toni’s dark eyes grew lustful within seconds. Cheryl extended the glass bottle to Toni. The pink haired girl went to grab it but Cheryl changed her mind last minute, instead bringing the bottle to Toni’s lips herself and tipped the bottle into the Serpents mouth. She watched as Toni’s lips wrapped around the top of the bottle and she felt like she could self combust. What was this girl doing to her….

“You want to get out of here?” Toni whispered into Cheryl’s ear.

The redhead wanted to but she knew it was just the alcohol. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out.

“We don’t have to do anything Bombshell...we can just talk.” the pink haired girl slurred.

Cheryl nodded in agreement and followed Toni out of the club.


	6. Something Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thanks for the comments and kudos every one, it keeps me motivated. I know my chapters aren't the longest, but this is probably the longest yet. So with that I will say there are some TW's : Brief mentions of physical abuse, heavy alcohol usage/drinking, and a Smut warning as well towards the end. For those smut fans out there (me being one of them lol) this is the most there will be for a longgggggg time. These two have a lot coming their way. Thanks again for reading and talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz, like most of you I have a lot of feelings about this past episode and Cheryl's mental state. Happy reading!

Cheryl followed Toni out of the club and back onto the strip. She steadied herself on her heels as she felt her world swaying. She could not remember the last time she had drank this much alcohol. She was doing everything to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to look vulnerable in front of the pink haired girl who was skipping down the street in front of her.

“Where to next?” Toni slurred as she skipped around in her boots.

Cheryl smirked to herself, noticing how Toni did not opt for the heels tonight. “Can we just sit for a second? I need to get my bearings.”

Toni nodded in agreement and plopped down on a concrete bench in front of another strip of bars. “Man, I don’t know how people do this all the time. I am so wasted.” Toni admitted.

Cheryl closed her eyes tightly still trying to stop the spinning.

“I haven’t been this drunk since my high school graduation.” Toni giggled. “Or maybe my 21st birthday…no definitely my high school graduation” she concluded.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow at her and bit back a comment about Toni actually graduating high school. “Don’t you work at a bar?”

Toni’s brown eyes shined with amusement. “Yes…but I don’t drink my income. I need all the money I can get. Drinking on the job is not something I indulge in often.”

Cheryl felt a wave of pride shoot through her body. She admired work ethic, no matter how menial the job seemed. It was one of the things that made her fall for Heather so fast. She was a sucker for girls who worked for what they wanted in life. “That’s very noble of you.” she said simply.

Toni laughed again. “Hey, I am not saying I won’t take a shot now and then. I am just saying that even though it’s just tending bar, I try to take it seriously.”

Cheryl sat in silence, running the fabric of her dress between her fingers. “So….tell me how you becoming Serpent Queen came about.”

Toni furrowed her brow in confusion but then offered the redhead a flirty smile. “So drunk Cheryl is intrigued by me?”

Cheryl shook her head. “No, I am just making conversation and trying not to focus on how hammered I am.”

Toni’s face softened. “I’m just messing with you. But..uh…I guess it came about because I am a Serpent by blood.” Toni paused for a second. She liked talking about the Serpents, but she wanted to remain as vague as possible. She was proud of her title, but she did not feel like baring her soul to a stranger right now. “It was hard to get to this point, being a woman ya know? People don’t take you as serious.”

Cheryl nodded in agreement. “I know all too well…” She thought about the hurdles she faced everyday in law school. Having to go that extra mile to prove she was just as smart as her male classmates. She thought of her brother, who she loved dearly, but he was always treated like royalty and Cheryl was...just Cheryl.

“Anyways..my grandpa was Serpent King…my dad was Serpent King…some things happened.. And Jughead’s family took over. Long story short, people were growing tired of some of Jughead’s choices, so I stepped in. I wanted to put the Topaz name back in a leadership role.” Toni explained, still not delving into any type of details. Even the thought of her father caused her anguish. She was not about to let the alcohol make her an emotional sap. “So, when I get home, I will start leading the gang, making sure everything is legit, nothing illegal, I want the Serpents to be about community again. I want the Southside to be more than just a place associated with crime and the poor.”

Cheryl bit back a smile. “Again..how noble of you.” She actually was impressed with the small pink haired girl. She had big dreams; Cheryl admired that. She envied it.

“So, what about you Cheryl Blossom, what can you tell me about yourself?” Toni asked, her voice lowering a bit.

Cheryl felt her stomach tense up. She did not like being in this state, drunk and risking anything spilling from her red lips. She tried her best to organize her mind and to filter what she was about to say. She knew for a fact she would not divulge the fate of her twin. Not even a sober Cheryl could deal with that. “Well..I am in law school..” she started tentatively.

Toni blinked at her in wonder. “For your family business? I eat your syrup.” She smiled, trying to make the mood light.

Cheryl felt her face flush. “Ah so you caught onto the name. But..well..no.. I do not associate with my family anymore. I just want to be a lawyer because that is what I want to do. I feel like it is something I am good at. School has always been a central focus in my life and I like a challenge.” She said simply, trying to keep it surface level.

Toni felt her heart skip. “I know that all too well too Bombshell…about the family stuff..” she stated, thinking briefly of her mother and father but quickly extinguishing those thoughts.

Cheryl contemplated her next words. She wanted Toni to understand at least a small part of her. To show her that there was a method behind her madness. That she wasn’t as stone cold as she seemed. She always had a compulsive need to explain herself, plus the alcohol was making her lips more loose by the second. “Have you ever gotten a ‘B’ on your report card Toni?’ Cheryl asked suddenly.

Toni blinked in confusion at the question. “Of course, I have. Tons of them. C’s too and A’s.” she laughed.

Cheryl did not laugh back. “And how did your parents react to that ‘B’ Toni?”

Toni bit her lip, growing anxious. Her stomach turned again at the thought of her parents. “They were happy with it…were always happy as long as I tried.”

Cheryl nodded slowly, her dark eyes gazing into the busy street. “I got a B once. I got hit, by my mother and my father. Once is all it took. The disappointment in their eyes, the brutality of their actions, I never wanted to see or feel that again...So I...umm..I take schooling very serious”

Toni instinctively reached out and grabbed the redheads pale hand in her dark one. Squeezing it and trying to ground the girl.

“The fucked-up thing was that my twin brother Jason, he got B’s all the time…nothing happened to him.” Cheryl murmured, her voice trailing off.

Toni looked at Cheryl through teary eyes. “Cheryl. I am so sorry..that is so messed up.”

Cheryl nodded slowly, already regretting all she had said. “Yeah..imagine how they felt and what they did when they found out I was a lesbian.” She laughed to herself, followed by a hiccup.

“Your parents sound horrid.” Toni mused.

“Yup…but this past year I have been trying to work passed it, trying to find myself. I have been trying to accept myself and my mistakes…” Cheryl said, her voice trailing off again. She quickly cut herself before she could say anymore.

“I can understand that.” Toni said simply, looking down and seeing Cheryl’s hand still intertwined in hers. “I have been trying to work on myself too. There are some things I am afraid of…things I am afraid of feeling. It is easier to stay busy and to block out my emotions then to actually deal with them.”

Cheryl squeezed Toni’s hand. “Agreed, but enough of the heavy stuff. I didn’t come here to open the wounds of my past.”

“What did you come here for then?” Toni asked seductively, falling into her flirty role to distract her mind from the conversation they had just had.

“To forget..” Cheryl slurred.

“I can help you with that..” Toni whispered leaning closer still gripping Cheryl’s hand in her lap.

Cheryl backed away slightly again, not ready to give into the small girl just yet. “One more drink.”

Toni nodded in agreement, but knew she was on the verge of drinking more than she could handle, the impending doom of a blackout looming over the pair.

The two stumbled into another bar, all inhibitions thrown out the window as they each took 3 more shots.

“TT…I can’t feel my lips.” Cheryl giggled, clinging to the fabric of Toni’s crop top as they walked out of the bar 30 minutes later.

“TT?” Toni grinned at her.

Cheryl’s face flushed. Luckily it was hidden due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed; her skin was already flushed. “Sorry..I…it slipped. I call my brother JJ, so force of habit.”

“Don’t apologize, it’s cute.” Toni said nudging the red head with her shoulder.

“We should do something totally crazy.” Cheryl said suddenly, all her inhibitions gone at this point.

Toni’s face lit up. “I’m game! What do you want to do?”

Cheryl bit her lip thinking for a moment. Her eyes scanned the strip and her eyes fell on a building with a giant neon heart. “Let’s do something you would never do in a million years. Something that I would never do in a million years.” Cheryl slurred and giggled. 

Toni’s glazed eyes followed Cheryl’s line of vision and gulped when she realized the implication. Toni’s drunken mind thought it sounded like the best idea ever. She was still feeling the butterflies from her conversation with the red head earlier. That small gaze into Cheryl's soul had Toni hooked. Toni could not recall the last time she actually tried to get to know a girl beyond the surface. She always just threw them a line, smiled, and took them to bed. “I’m game if you are Bombshell, lemmeeeee call Fangsssss.” The pink haired girl slurred even more. Toni grasped Cheryl’s hand tightly and stumbled towards the chapel. She was past gone at this point. Never in a million years would Toni Topaz tie herself down to anyone. She ran from any type of commitment. Here she was, running to a Vegas chapel with a beautiful stranger. She may regret it in the morning but right now she felt on top of the world.

*****

The next thing Toni knew she was in the elevator of the hotel, pressing a redhead against the closed doors. Toni stared into dark brown eyes, not wanting to make the first move. She was dying to kiss the girl in front of her, but she had already tried to kiss Cheryl twice tonight. She wanted to leave it in her hands. She didn’t have to wait long. Seconds later Cheryl gripped Toni’s face in both hands and attacked her lips feverishly. Everything in Cheryl was telling her this was wrong, but it felt so right. She moaned as Toni bit her plump bottom lip.

“You are so hotttt.” Toni slurred into the redhead's mouth.

Cheryl moaned back not even remembering or realizing how they got to this point, but right now she wasn’t complaining.

Toni lowered her hands to Cheryl’s hips, squeezing them firmly as she continued the assault on those red lips. The elevator dinged, signaling their stop. The pair fell out as the door opened and laughed hysterically when they hit the floor. Toni helped Cheryl up and they bounced like ping pong balls between the walls as they tried to walk the halls to their room.

“Made it.” Toni said victoriously as she swiped the key card. This time she held onto Cheryl so she would not fall when the door opened. Both girls were walking like they were on a boat at sea caught in a hurricane.

“Come in my room.” Cheryl breathed, gripping Toni by the shirt and dragging her into the space.

Toni happily followed and shut the door behind them. “You want to do this Bombshell?” she asked.

Cheryl looked at her through hooded eyes and nodded slowly.

Toni smiled and laid Cheryl down on the bed, quickly laying herself on the red heads perfect body. She connected their lips again in a sloppy kiss. She reached for the zipper of Cheryl’s dress that she had zipped up earlier and brought it down the other direction. While Cheryl got her dress off the rest of the way Toni removed her crop top and jeans, tossing them somewhere behind her.

Cheryl looked up at the girl currently straddling her. She had on a black lace bra and panties. She felt nervousness settle in her stomach. She had only ever been with Heather. Heather. God, now was not the time to think about her. She looked at Toni again. Fuck it. She flipped them over so Toni was now on her back under Cheryl.

Toni moaned at the action and took a moment to run her hands over Cheryl’s newly exposed body. Her pale skin lighting up in the dark room. After she had stripped off her dress she was left in only red lace underwear. Toni’s hands settled on her hips as she squeezed them lightly. Toni couldn’t help but stare at the redheads breast, right in her face. She leaned up and took a nipple in her mouth. Cheryl ground her hips down onto Toni’s while she sucked on the perked bud. She took the other breast in her hand and squeezed roughly. Cheryl closed her eyes and relished in the sensations that Toni was providing her. She gently nudged Toni off her breast as she leaned down to kiss the caramel skin of her neck. She sucked and kissed on Toni’s neck roughly as her hands squeezed her breasts. 

Toni was a writing mess underneath the redhead, unable to contain the sounds coming out of her mouth. Toni was never loud during sex but all the alcohol and the beautiful girl on top of her were making it hard to hold back.

“You sound so sexy.” Cheryl confessed as she continued the assault on Toni’s neck.

Toni just moaned in response, not even able to form words. Cheryl broke away from her neck and began sucking and kissing down through the valley of Toni’s breast, stopping to take a nipple into her mouth. She bit and sucked on it as her other hand ghosted over Toni’s panty line. The pink haired girl bucked her hips up in frustration as Cheryl smirked against her. She reluctantly broke away from Toni’s perfect breasts and kissed down her stomach, leaving hickeys as she pleased. She took Toni’s lace panties between her teeth and dragged them down her smooth legs.

Toni shivered in anticipation and closed her eyes tightly. The room was still spinning and she wanted to enjoy this. Cheryl wasted no time and immediately began circling Toni’s clit with the pads of her fingers. Toni bit her lip as she squeezed her eyes shut. Cheryl circled her entrance, slowly sliding a finger in, but only halfway. She teased her entrance for a few more moments until Toni brought herself down on Cheryl’s finger. Cheryl was about to scold her but instead took her finger out and quickly plunged two into her. Toni moaned loudly. 

“Cheryl, god...please..” Toni pleaded.

“Please what?” Cheryl asked sweetly as she continued slowly moving her fingers into Toni.

“Faster..please..baby.” Toni moaned.

Cheryl smirked with how quickly she had Toni crumbling. The girl was a mess beneath her. Cheryl obliged and became moving her fingers faster into the pink haired girl. She felt Toni’s walls tightening against her two fingers, she knew she was close. She brought her thumb to her clit and barely pressed down when Toni was crying out and finding her release. Cheryl withdrew her fingers slowly and inserted them into her mouth, sucking off Toni’s arousal slowly.

Toni watched her through hooded eyes, her vision blurry from the orgasm and the alcohol. She tried to sit up to flip Cheryl over, but Cheryl was quick to push her back down.

“I am not done yet.” she said, the alcohol fueling her confidence.

Toni’s head hit the pillow as she watched Cheryl lower her face to her center. She moaned before Cheryl's tongue even made contact. Cheryl took Toni’s clit into her mouth and sucked harshly, causing the girls back to arch off the bed. She dipped her tongue into her entrance, moaning into her core at the taste. She quickly brought Toni to a second orgasm with her talented tongue. Cheryl finally let Toni flip her over onto her back.

“I’m gonna rock your world Cheryl Bombshell” she said.

“I have no doubt.” Cheryl breathed as Toni connected their lips in a kiss. Toni palmed the redheads breasts and squeezed them roughly, pinching her nipples until she whined with pleasure. Toni brought her kisses down to the pale skin of Cheryl’s neck, sucking on her pulse point harshly. She broke her hands away from her breasts and lowered them down to Cheryl’s clothed center, she rubbed her clit over the fabric slowly. Cheryl moaned in annoyance and pleasure as she bucked her hips up into Toni’s hand.

“Take them off.” Cheryl demanded.

Toni broke away from her neck, raised an eyebrow at her, but quickly got to removing the last article of clothing between the two. She wasted no time in circling Cheryl's entrance with her index finger. She put it in slowly, moaning at how wet the redhead was.

“All this for me?” Toni said seductively, grazing her teeth on the shell of Cheryl’s ear.

All Cheryl could do was nod. She was in such a state of euphoria that she couldn’t do anything but take what Toni was giving her.

Toni smirked against her skin again. And added a second finger, quickening the pace in which she was thrusting into the girl below her. She felt Cheryl respond to her actions, her walls squeezing on her fingers. She kept the pace up on her fingers as she lowered her face down to lick Cheryl's clit while she thrusted into her.

“Fuck...Toni...Toni..god..” Cheryl chanted as she climbed to her peak. One more swirl of Toni’s tongue and she was screaming. Too drunk and turned on to remember they were not alone in the hotel room.

Toni removed her fingers and lowered her face down to her dripping center to continue pleasuring the girl below her. She was determined to keep fucking her until she couldn’t anymore. She brought Cheryl to 3 orgasms, almost cumming again herself with the way she had Cheryl screaming.

Finally both girls passed out due to exhaustion and all the alcohol they consumed.

******

Toni awoke the next morning, feeling like she had been hit hard by a train. She tried to open her eyes but the moment the sun hit them she whined. It hurt so bad. She opened her eyes again, looking around the room. She saw clothes strewn everywhere and realized she was completely naked under the sheets. She looked down at her naked body and smirked at all the hickeys she saw scattered on her skin. God, the night was such a blur. She knew she came home with Cheryl but the red head was nowhere in sight. The last thing she remembers clearly is taking 3 shots in the last bar. She had some hazy memories of red lips on her skin and heavenly moans in her ears. She was used to drunken hookups but this is one she would’ve liked to remember every detail from. Toni groaned again as her head throbbed. She brought her hand to her face to rub her temples and felt cool metal press on her forehead. She squinted her eyes in confusion as she examined her hand. There. On her ring finger. A purple band. “Oh fuck.”


	7. What's Mine is Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I have the update up a bit early, I have to write 2 research papers this weekend :/. Anyways again I like to say thank you for reading my little fic and I have really enjoyed interacting with you all in the comments and on Twitter. I am @tonicheryltopaz , same as here if you want to talk about the fic or the show. I wanted to put a reminder here. The end of this chapter is pretty much based on the movie and as I have said before, there will be drama for a bit before these two can learn to navigate their own feelings and such. Some parts at the end may seem selfish but they both have a lot to sort through and learn. I won't give too much away, I am just rambling as usual. Enjoy!

Cheryl awoke the next morning sore, confused, and extremely hungover. Her muscles ached, her stomach churned, and her throat burned. She opened her eyes slowly, hissing with pain when the sunlight hit her pupils. She felt a heavy weight on her chest as she went to take a deep breath in to calm herself. She averted her eyes down to the sight of pink hair splayed across her bare, pale chest. Cheryl’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. This girl was sound asleep on her naked chest. She felt skin on skin and knew that Toni was naked too. The shorter girl was pure dead weight, snoring peacefully and unaware. There was a dried patch of drool on Cheryl’s collarbone that had fallen from Toni’s mouth. If Cheryl hadn’t felt so sick and confused, she may have found the site in front of her adorable. She shifted the smaller girl off her body and went to sit up. Toni remained unbothered, still sound asleep. Cheryl sat up slowly, letting the world catch up with her movements. The contents of her stomach were threatening to come up and she did her best to swallow it down. She stood up, placing a silk robe over her naked body as she searched her suitcase for something to put on. She flushed with embarrassment again when she saw her red dress pooled on the floor next to tight jeans and black boots. She quickly threw on black leggings, a loose grey sweater, and a pair of flip flops.

Cheryl’s phone was nowhere to be found so she went out into the main room to try and find her friends. The hotel suite was completely empty, every bedroom door open and no one in the kitchen. She huffed in frustration and decided to head down to the breakfast buffet to search. The elevator ride down was painful, every slight movement causing her to feel queasy. When she reached the bottom she shuffled across the lobby to the dining area, quickly looking for a familiar face. She saw the group of Serpents, minus Toni of course in the far corner. She quickly averted her eyes before they could spot her. Luckily, she spotted the familiar face of her friend, Veronica Lodge at a table surrounded by the rest of the group.

Veronica spotted Cheryl and a large grin spread across her face as she beckoned her over. Cheryl walked over to her friends, noticing that Josie and Betty quickly looked down at their plates of food, not making eye contact with her. The red head squinted suspiciously as Kevin and Veronica continued grinning at her. “Hi guys.” Cheryl grumbled, her throat still burning.

Veronica continued the grinning, causing Cheryl to squirm uncomfortably in her chair.

“V, you are creeping me out.” Cheryl confessed.

Veronica bit her bottom lip. “Cheryl Bombshell, I have no words.”

Cheryl felt her face heat up as she saw Josie’s jaw clench and Betty’s face turn a deep shade of red. She squinted at Veronica in confusion.

“I don’t know what you and Toni Topaz did to each other last night but…I think you two could have woken the dead.” Veronica giggled.

Cheryl felt her stomach flip, immediately wanting to disappear. “I…” she tried to speak but no more words came out. “Is that why you two can’t look at me?”

Josie lifted her head slightly, as did Betty. “I am sorry Cheryl, you are my family, it was just…it was shocking..but I am glad you had a good time.” The blonde said sheepishly, poking around her plate with her fork.

“Yeah girl..we are happy for you. I just saw Sweet Pea’s reaction and he is definitely scarred for life.” Josie said covering a smile with her hand.

Veronica leaned forward in her chair and lowered her voice. “To be honest I thought you were still a virgin with how silent you and Heather’s sleepovers were.”

“Veronica!” Cheryl groaned, covering her red face with both hands wishing she could be anywhere else in the world.

“Cheryl….?” Kevin said, glancing at her pale hands, noticing the shiny red band on her ring finger.

“What?” she responded, moving her hands to her temples as she rubbed slow circles. She looked up at her friend, he was just staring at her, mouth hung open.

He slowly reached across the table and gripped her left hand firmly, pulling it gently from her face. He ran his finger over the band, causing Cheryl’s eyes to cast downward. She felt her eyes widened in shock. “Wha…no..what…fuck no..” she stuttered, looking between her friends faces for answers.

She watched as each of their jaws dropped open. “Please, someone please tell me this is a sick joke.” The redhead demanded as she scanned their faces frantically. Dark eyes searching each face for any sign of humor.

Kevin swallowed loudly. “I thought Fangs was kidding….” His voice trailed off.

Cheryl stood up from her chair abruptly, causing it to crash backwards. “Explain…NOW.”

Kevin’s eyes widened in fear. “Well..you and Toni wandered off at some point when me and Fangs were still at the club…” He paused.

Cheryl clenched her fists, the anger steadily building up inside of her. “And?”

“And…ummm..at some point Fangs got a call from Toni.. he said he had to go and he would be right back. He said something about a wedding and that’s all I got from him before he was out the door..he came back later and I was drunk so I didn’t even bother asking..” he finished, fidgeting with his fingers as he awaited Cheryl's reaction.

Cheryl’s manicured hand clutched the fabric of the silk tablecloth on the table. She felt the contents of her stomach coming up again as she bolted to the restroom. She barely made it to the toilet as she emptied her stomach and fell to her knees. She began sobbing uncontrollably. This couldn’t be real. This had to be a bad dream. How could she be this stupid? She racked her brain trying to recall as many details as she could. She does remember spotting the wedding chapel, she remembers Toni’s soft brown eyes gazing at her, she remembers opening herself up to Toni. Even though it was just a little bit it was still more then she would ever tell anyone. She remembers seeing no judgement in Toni’s eyes. She remembers holding a soft caramel colored hand. God…everything her parents ever told her was happening in front of her eyes. Stupid choices, deviant behaviors, being so starved for love that she literally jumped on the first person that even smiled at her. This was so unlike her which made Cheryl feel even sicker. She was always composed, always perfect. How could she let this happen? She hadn't messed up this bad since the accident. She curled up on the tiled floor, hugging her knees to her chest and letting the tears fall. She heard Veronica knocking insistently on the door, but she couldn’t bear to get up to let her in.

****

Toni made her way down to the dining area, knowing her friends were probably stuffing their faces with free breakfast. She felt like she was still drunk, swaying slightly as she walked across the lobby. She saw the group tucked at a corner table, heads close together like they were in deep conversation. She approached them and pulled up a chair to the join the table. All the boys averted their eyes, not wanting to look at her. She cleared her throat forcefully. No response. She cleared it one more time. Still nothing. “Guys!” she shouted, slamming her fist down on the table.

Jughead jumped and yelped in surprise, his fork clanging to the floor.

“What's wrong with you?” Toni asked.

Sweet Pea’s face turned a heavy shade of red. He opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out.

Fangs smiled and placed his hand gently over Toni’s. “Ummm.. I don’t know how to say this T but we all umm…heard a side of you that we have never heard before.” 

Toni scrunched her eyebrows as she scanned their faces. They looked utterly terrified. “Meaning?” she pressed.

“Meaning we heard you having sex Toni!” Sweet Pea shouted. “You’re like my sister, I..ughhh..I can’t even think about it.” His face blushed deeper.

Toni scoffed at her friend. “Pea…I know you have been in my trailer when…when I have brought someone home.”

“I have Toni, but I hear them, which is still weird, but I never had to hear you like that...and ughh..that’s all I can say.” Sweet Pea said, digging a fork back into his plate of eggs.

“Prude…” Toni mumbled.

“Anywaysssss..” Fangs began smiling widely. “We are happy for you, but I know you got up to some freaky shit last night, how was your wedding role play? Definitely something different but hey if that’s what gets you going.” he chuckled.

Toni felt the color drain from her face. The purple band on her finger. She wasn’t planning on addressing it yet. She felt a shred of hope at her friend’s words though and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god, a role play? I thought my dumbass really got married.” she laughed.

Jughead choked on his orange juice. “Excuse me?”

Fangs grinned widely. “Yeah, weird shit but Toni called me and demanded that I meet her at the chapel as a witness, you guys really take it seriously, but when in Vegas right?” he laughed again slamming his hand on the table.

Toni felt her stomach turn again. “What do you mean…as a witness?” she clenched her jaw.

Fangs nodded, still grinning. “Yeah, they did a whole ceremony and everything. Have you sign the certificate and shit. You guys were so cute though all touchy and giggly. I am not surprised with what we heard last night. Vegas is a crazy city dude.”

Toni felt her face heat up as she stood to stand over her friends. “What do you mean sign the certificate?”

Fangs gripped Toni’s forearm lightly. “T, relax, everyone knows Vegas weddings are not real.” He rolled his eyes at her.

Toni slammed her fist on the table again, shaking the glasses and plates. She gripped Fangs by the collar of his shirt and pulled him out of his chair. “Are you an idiot? Yes Fangs they are real, if  **YOU** signed a fucking certificate, if  **I** signed the fucking certificate it is real!”

Fangs raised his hands in defense. “Hey, I didn’t know okay, I was just doing what you told me to do. I really thought it was just some fun thing you two wanted to do.”

Toni closed her eyes tightly and let go of Fangs’ shirt. God she was an idiot. She sat back down in her chair and laid her face in her hands. She felt tears threatening to spill out.

“Toni…it’s okay, we will handle it. This happens all the time to people I am sure. We will take care of it when we get home.” Jughead said.

Toni raised her eyes to look at her friends. “You guys don’t get it. No one can know about this. No one. Do you understand?”

They all nodded slowly at her in response.

“This is exactly why I had to fight to be Serpent Queen. If anyone finds out they will think I am just some emotional girl who makes rash choices. This is literally everything I stand against. Marriage..what a joke.” She spat.

“Toni…not everyone is your mo..” Sweet Pea started but was cut off by Toni’s small hand held up in front of his face.

“Don’t even go there right now. Do not finish that sentence. It does not matter who she is. She is a stranger, she is a hook up. It was a stupid decision. I let myself get into the moment and that is not something I can do as a leader.” Toni’s voice cracked as she ran a hand through her pink locks.

“We will figure it out I promise.” Fangs said. “Let’s go get some gambling in before we have to pack up..take your mind off things, then we can talk more on the plane.” He offered.

Toni nodded and followed the boys to the casino.

***

Veronica finally coaxed Cheryl from the bathroom and brought her back up to the room. Cheryl breathed a sigh of relief when they found the room still empty.

“Go on to your room, I will make us some tea.” Veronica said making her way to the kitchen, rummaging the cabinets for tea bags.

Cheryl waited patiently for her friend, wringing her hands together nervously as she paced around the room. Veronica knocked softly as she opened the door, then closed it quickly behind her. She sat down on the bed and motioned for Cheryl to join her, grasping her pale hand softly. Cheryl whimpered in response, closing her eyes to keep the tears at bay.

“I am such an idiot Veronica.” the red head sniffled.

“You are not Cheryl..contrary to your high standards of yourself..you are still human.” she smiled softly, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear.

“I married a stranger Veronica. A girl that I have not even known for 48 hours. I am married.” she said. Her mind was still racing and sitting down talking to her friend was just making her anxiety intensify. “To be honest V, I know you want to help but I cannot talk about this right now.”

Veronica nodded slowly. “I know but we also can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

Cheryl clenched her jaw. “I know Veronica...I will figure it out. I always do.”

“But you don’t have to sweetie,” Veronica pleaded. “Not alone.”

“You do enough for me Veronica, now please. I am going to lay down and pack up. We have a long day ahead of us.” Cheryl said standing up and guiding Veronica out the door as quickly as she had come in.

Cheryl looked around at the mess of her room and sighed heavily. She grabbed her suitcase and began packing the loose clothes from the floor. She found a black lace bra and panties, not belonging to her. She grimaced and threw them towards the door realizing they were Toni’s….her wife. God she had to get out of this room. It felt like the walls were literally closing in on her. She snuck out of the room and decided to go walk the casino. She walked around aimlessly between the machines, the noises and lights intensifying her hangover. She turned a corner to the next row of machines and came face to face with the petit back of Toni Topaz. The pink hair slightly knotted from the night before and cascading down her back. She was hunched over slightly, brown eyes hypnotized by the rotating numbers on the screen, slim fingers pressing the bets on the lines.

“Well look what we have here.” Cheryl said confidently strutting towards the girl. She had to keep the upper hand, always wanting to feel in control.

Toni snapped to attention at the familiar voice, turning slowly away from the machine and facing the redhead. Her dark eyes flashed with nerves but softened quickly, a coy smirk playing on her lips.

“Hi baby.” she said, trying to play the part.

Cheryl crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you. This is all your fault you know? Taking advantage of a drunk girl.”

“Excuse me?” Toni said, crossing her arms across her chest. “You want to try that again?”

Cheryl paused slightly, trying to think of what to say. She knew none of this was strictly Toni’s fault. She knew that. They were both to blame here but when Cheryl got mad, embarrassed, or hurt, she lashed out. Even if she did not mean what she said, the words still flowed effortlessly. Bad habits die hard. “You heard me. Is this just some game to you? Marry the girl from the Northside so you can feel better about yourself? Or marry the girl that has the last name Blossom because she may have money? Well jokes on you, like I told you last night I don’t associate with my family, I am as broke as you are.” her voice raised slightly.

Toni’s mouth flew open with shock. “I’m not trying to get anything from you. I was just trying to have fun.” Toni argued, gritting her teeth. She paused. “You know what I think Cheryl? I think you think of me as...that ‘B’ on your report card. I am a disappointment to you, which is fine, you don’t know me. But I think you are more mad at yourself than you are at me.” she concluded.

Cheryl felt her fist clench as her nails dug into her palms. Her own words being thrown back to her. The things she had felt safe telling Toni now coming back to haunt her. The girl wasn’t wrong though. Cheryl was extremely disappointed in herself. So disappointed in fact that her cheek tingled thinking about the slap her mother would give her if she ever found out about this. The words she would spit at her. She shivered at the thought. Cheryl was completely at a loss of what to say so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “Fuck you Toni.”

Toni bit back a smirk, her pearly white teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “Nah..I’m good, I did fuck you though.”

Cheryl’s anger reached its peak. Her body shaking with rage. If she didn’t remove herself from the situation she knew she would do something she regretted. She dug her hand into her purse and pulled out a quarter. “I will give you a quarter to shut the fuck up and never talk to me again. I will put you in touch with a divorce attorney when we get back to New York and we can sign what we need to sign. Aside from that I don’t want to see your face again.” she shoved the quarter firmly into Toni’s chest.

Toni shrugged and put a quarter into the machine. 

Cheryl pulled the lever roughly, and turned on her heels to walk away.

Toni shook her head and got up to walk away as well. She was not even a foot from the machine when she heard the familiar  _ Ding. Ding. Ding,  _ of a winning line. Followed by a loud, blaring siren that she had not heard before. She turned back towards the machine, now illuminated with red lights. “Holy shit...holy shit.” she whispered as reality set in. She stared at the machine as she felt someone pull her into a hug. She was met with the dark eyes of Fangs, grinning widely at her. 

“Toni!! Holy fuck you hit the jackpot.” he jumped up and down.

“What..what’s the amount?” she stuttered, not processing what was going on. How had she gone from a shouting match with her "wife’" to winning a jackpot in 2 minutes.

“5 million ma’am.” a deep voice said from behind the pair.

Toni saw the casino employee walking towards her with a large grin. “Come again?” she asked quietly.

“5 million is that jackpot ma’am, and it looks like you hit it.” his grin grew.

Toni collapsed to her knees, hot tears streaming down her face. Images of what that money could do played in her head. She wouldn’t have to worry about her grandfather. She could hire a nurse to care for him. She could provide him any medical care that he needed instead of relying on handouts or using all of her measly paycheck. She could help the Serpents. It would do everything she could ever dream of for the gang. She could help pay off Serpent debts. She could fix up the trailer park, heck she could buy a new trailer. She could help rebuild parts of the SouthSide in general. Every vision she had as Queen was becoming possible in front of her eyes. She continued to freely sob into her hands as Fangs bent down to kneel next to her, knowing exactly the thoughts that were going through her head.

From behind the pair stood a glaring redhead. The alarms of the Jackpot had stopped her in her tracks. A large smile graced her lips. That was her quarter, she pulled the lever, Toni was merely sitting at the machine. Her heart clenched with joy when she realized what this meant for her. She could pay Veronica back plus some. She could pay off her school loans. She could finally break away from the tainted Blossom name by opening her own law firm. Starting her own business in the city and associating the Blossom name with something completely different. She could start a scholarship in Jason’s honor, the possibilities were endless. She trotted over to the employee and tapped him on the shoulder. “I believe you are looking for me, that was my coin and I pulled the lever.” she explained.

Toni’s head shot up fast enough to break her neck. “Nice try...but I have been on that machine for over an hour, you came to me. It was still my play.”

Cheryl gave her a sympathetic smile. “But I pulled the lever, I started the spin for that win.”

Toni shook her head again in disagreement. “All because you inserted yourself into my game without being asked does not make you entitled to this. I know you think everyone owes you everything, but I don’t honey.” 

Cheryl felt the familiar feeling of chaos brewing in her veins. Another smirk came to rest on her lips as she held up her ring finger, displaying the little red band. “What’s yours is mine baby.”

Toni’s mouth fell open as she fainted on the casino floor.


	8. Six Months Hard Marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I know I said the update may be delayed because I have two research papers too write well.... I wrote one and then I decided to procrastinate. I also woke up with extreme anxiety that I couldn't shake all day and still can't and writing helps me relax so here we are. This is a lot of dialogue so I apologize about that but it sets the tone for the next part of the story if you will. Thanks again for the Kudos and comments, helps keep me inspired. Also, don't forget talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz. Peace :)

Toni paced back and forth in her trailer, her combat boots causing the rickety floor to squeak underneath her. Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead sat on her old, worn, leather couch, eyes focused on the pink haired girl. She brought her black painted nail up to her lip and bit it thoughtfully. “So..the meeting went well; I don’t think anyone suspects anything.” she concluded, reflecting on the Serpent meeting she had held earlier in the day.

“You’re being paranoid.” Sweet Pea huffed. “They have no reason to suspect anything.”

“I feel so bad lying to everyone.” Toni whined. “It’s a lose, lose situation.”

“Toni, just breathe. Remember we are going to see how court goes on Wednesday before deciding how to proceed forward. Until then you have to try and relax.” Jughead chimed in.

Toni nodded in agreement. Veronica had texted her early that morning with the name and address of the courthouse she was to meet Cheryl at on Wednesday. Since there was a large sum of money involved now, it was going to make things a lot more difficult. Luckily, since Cheryl was in law school, she had some pull with New York attorneys and judges. She was able to get them in front of a judge swiftly. Both girls wanted this done with as quickly as possible.

“I still can’t believe you won that money.” Fangs said dreamily. “You guys most likely will have to end up splitting it, even 2.5 million is a shit ton.”

“I know, I am not greedy about it, I am willing to take whatever I can get for the Serpents. I still am just disappointed in myself for everything. Like I said, I can’t have everyone knowing what happened. I can't have my authority questioned this early. I feel bad for keeping it from my grandfather too, but he looked so frail at the meeting.” Toni muttered. "I don't think he could handle this right now."

“We support you no matter what Toni, we have your back.” Sweet Pea smiled reassuringly.

“It means a lot guys, and I know it is a lot to ask of you. To lie to the other Serpents for me, I am sorry I put you in this situation.” Toni said, running a hand through her pink hair.

“We’ve grown up with you T, you would do the same for us.” Fangs grinned, standing up to pull the shorter girl in for a crushing hug.

*****

Cheryl sat on the white sectional in Veronica’s family room clicking away on her laptop. She was pouring through every detail on divorce laws and procedures. She was trying to find any loophole she could to speed along the proceeding. Her eyes had started to burn with exhaustion. She had been at her search for nearly five hours.

“Care for a break?” Veronica asked, plopping down next to Cheryl on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

Cheryl slammed her laptop closed with a groan and rubbed her brown eyes. “Yes, I have had enough, everything is starting to blend together at this point. I have scoured so many court documents and have not been able to find a case exactly like ours. Of course there is always money involved with divorces but our case is..unique to say the least.”

Veronica nodded in understanding. “I texted Toni, she will be there Wednesday with bells on.” Veronica smiled.

Cheryl cringed at the mention of the pink haired girl. “Thanks Veronica.”

“You know she is feeling the same way you are; it wouldn’t hurt to reach out yourself.” Veronica suggested.

Cheryl shook her head in disagreement. “I need to focus on getting this settled. Texting her would do nothing for either of us. I don’t need her snarky comments or two cents about the situation. This whole thing should be cut and dry. We will end up splitting the money once the divorce is finalized. I just can’t have this getting around, especially to my colleagues.”

Veronica shrugged. “Just saying...you are the only two people in the world who can relate to each other right now.”

“I thought you were here to give me a break.” Cheryl countered.

“Fair enough.” Veronica responded, clicking on the TV and leaving her friend alone with her thoughts.

*****

Wednesday came quick. Toni parked her motorcycle in front of the courthouse, arriving 15 minutes early. She looked down at her outfit and was pleased it held up for the most part during her ride. She wore black dress slacks, a red button up shirt, and a black blazer. Her pink hair was in loose waves, slightly out of place from her helmet but she still looked good. She sat down on a bench outside the courthouse and switched her boots for a pair of heels she had in her backpack. She stood up, flattening her hands over her shirt one more time.

“Looking good Toni Topaz.” a sweet-sounding voice came from the entrance to the courthouse.

Toni grinned as she was met with the face of Veronica Lodge.

“Thanks, I tried to play the part. I don’t want Cheryl telling me I look like trash or something.” Toni chuckled. “Although it took everything for me not to wear my Serpent jacket. I want to at least try to make a good impression.”

“Already pleasing the wife, I see.” Veronica answered with a grin.

Toni rolled her eyes. “Come on. Where is she anyway?”

“She’s inside of course, going over her note cards and what not.” Veronica sighed.

“Note cards?” Toni quirked an eyebrow.

“Cheryl is….” Veronica paused to search for the correct word. “She’s umm...very. Prepared?” she settled on.

Toni shrugged and followed Veronica into the building. She stepped inside and heard Cheryl before she saw her. The clicking of her heels on the marble floor. She was pacing. Toni turned the corner and saw the red head. She was muttering under her breath, brown eyes focused on the note cards grasped firmly in her manicured hands. She looked amazing. Her red hair was shiny and curled down her shoulders. She wore a pinstripe jumpsuit that hugged her hips just right, and of course tall heels, black like Toni’s. Hers were red bottomed though, unlike Toni’s she had bought a Walmart on the way over.

“Hey Bombshell.” Toni greeted the red head, pulling her out of her trace.

She blinked at her slowly, offering no greeting.

Toni raked her eyes slowly up and down Cheryl’s body. “I have good taste.” she mumbled to herself.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “I am going to need you to keep your comments to a minimum today. Let me do all the talking. The last thing we need is for you to piss off the judge. I know how to talk to these people." she stated. "I am going to represent us, it’s unconventional but that way we don’t have to pay, and my professor will be here in the event that we need him.”

Toni looked at her pensively. “You know what you are doing Bombshell? You expect me to be okay with this? You told me you’d find a divorce attorney for me.”

Cheryl bit her lip firmly. “Well...technically I did. Plus it is free this way.”

“Whatever, I am good with it. But if I have something to say, I’m gonna say it.” Toni said matter of factly.

“They’re ready for you.” Veronica smiled from the door, holding it open for the duo.

Two pairs of heels clicked in unison as the girls entered the courtroom. They stood next to each other behind a small table in front of the judge. He was an older man with a round body, thinning white hair, and square framed glasses. He eyed the pair harshly.

“You may sit.” he grumbled, gesturing to them.

Toni and Cheryl sat and folded their hands together in front of them.

The judge continued to eye the pair and rubbed one of his temples with his hand. “Ladies, ladies, ladies.” he began.

Toni shifted nervously in her chair, suddenly feeling ten times smaller in the large room. Cheryl remained poised next to her, shoulders high and chin lifted.

“I will say. I have not seen anything like this in awhile..maybe even ever. You two are here to be granted a divorce is that correct?” the judge asked.

“Yes, Your Honor.” Cheryl stated firmly.

He gripped his chin in his hand, squinting his eyes at some documents laid out in front of him. “Well, a few things to address here. You were wed Saturday. We did not even receive your marriage license from the state of Nevada yet, which is problematic. Second, you decided to gamble while there, tying up 5 million dollars in between states as well. It will take me months to sort all of this out. To be honest, it is a waste of my time.”

Toni gulped and shifted in her chair again. She looked at Cheryl out of the corner of her eye and noticed her fake smile faltered as well.

“Your generation does not value the commitment of marriage. It isn’t a joke; it isn’t a game. It is quite clear what happened here; however, I think the two of you need a reality check.” the judge said.

“Not to disagree your honor, but most marriages end in divorce anyway, we are just ahead of schedule.” Toni interrupted.

She felt Cheryl jab her in the ribs harshly.

“Ms. Topaz or Mrs. Topaz I should say. I appreciate your attempt at humor, but I am being serious here. I think I have decided your sentence if you want to call it that.” he smirked as he stroked his chin. “As I said it will take months to sort out this money situation as far as taxes and final amounts. So... I sentence you two to six months of hard marriage.” he slammed down his gavel. 

“Y..y..your Honor, I beg your pardon?” Cheryl stuttered. “What does that entail?”

“It entails living together, working together on the relationship, and learning about one another. You will attend weekly couples counseling sessions with a court appointed therapist. She will document your attendance. If she feels you are not taking it seriously or not coming to sessions, then I will deem you uncooperative. If you are uncooperative your portion of the money will remain tied up in the legal system or not rewarded to you all together.” he explained. “You will treat it like a true marriage, because it is. That means no cheating, it means respecting one another, and building a foundation. If in six months you still want the divorce, it will be granted to you. Maybe find out why you two did this in the first place” he mused.

Toni shot up out of her seat. “Excuse me? Live together? I live an hour from here..you can’t do this. This cannot be allowed. I have my own life.”

Cheryl pulled her down by the shoulder firmly and addressed the judge. “Your Honor, I work a Monday-Friday job here in New York at a local law firm. It is how I pay for school. I also attend classes at NYU for my law degree. I cannot uproot my life for…for this.” She argued.

“Well one of you may have to commute.” he said nonchalantly. “Miss Topaz, are you in the same situation?”

“I run a gang Your Honor and I tend bar on the weekends.” Toni explained.

“So clearly you can move here.” Cheryl stated.

“You know I can't do that.” Toni argued shooting the red head a firm glare.

“Excuse me Your Honor.” a voice said from the seats.

Toni turned to see Veronica standing up.

“May I make an offer?” she asked politely.

He nodded in confirmation. “Why not?”

“Toni, I am looking to purchase and expand some more on the Southside of Riverdale. I could hire you temporarily as my liaison. You know the Southside, what is valuable and what is not. I will also be looking for employees. You know what Serpents would work well for which job. To explain your absence to them, perhaps you could say you are working with me...for the good of the gang.” she explained.

Toni bit her lip thoughtfully...it just might work. “I accept that Veronica...if Cheryl lives in Riverdale on the weekends. I cannot be away the whole time.” she countered. “Marriage is about compromise after all.” She grinned.

“Cheryl?” the judge asked. “Are you willing to do that?”

She clenched her jaw firmly. “It seems as if I don’t have a choice. To be honest, this all seems rather asinine.”

“It is asinine Ms. Blossom, this whole situation. Love, marriage, commitment, it is to be taken seriously. I will see you two back here in 6 months.” He slammed the gavel again with finality and retreated to his chambers.

Toni stayed seated in her chair, laying her face in her hands.

“Toni….” Veronica’s kind voice began. “If you need moving assistance, my driver can take you back to Riverdale..I am sure not everything will fit on your bike.” She giggled lightheartedly.

Toni sighed. “Unfortunately, it most likely will. I will head back, get my stuff, talk to the Serpents and I should be to your place by 8 at the latest.”

“I’ll text you the address.” The raven-haired girl grinned.

Toni glanced at Cheryl who was still staring straight ahead, her note cards scattered on the table in front of her.

“That okay Cheryl?” Toni asked carefully.

Cheryl glanced briefly at the pink haired girl, not bothering to respond.

Toni shrugged and headed out of the courtroom. She shot a quick text out to most of the Serpents, calling an emergency meeting at the Wyrm in two hours and to pass the word along. She hopped on her bike and sped towards Riverdale, her mind racing.

****

“Thank you all for coming on short notice.” Toni began as she addressed the group of Serpents in front of her.

She saw Sweet Pea, Jughead, and Fangs eyeing her nervously. She hadn’t been able to brief them before the meeting. They were going in blind like everyone else.

“I had a unique opportunity arise this week that will require me to spend some time in New York.” She started.

She immediately heard murmurs from the crowd.

“I met Veronica Lodge when I was in Vegas this weekend. As you know, the Lodge name is a tainted one here on the Southside. Veronica has been legitimizing businesses here in Riverdale over the past couple years. She runs successful businesses on the Northside and has provided jobs to many residents.” Toni explained. “Her next area of interest is the Southside.”

“Toni! Don’t be silly.” A deep voice from the crowd shouted out.

Toni held up her hand. “Let me finish. I know there is apprehension here. That is why Veronica asked me to be a liaison between her and the Southside. She wants to have someone who knows the ins and outs. She will create jobs for the Serpents, it will help keep us on the straight and narrow. She needs me there to work by her side. Of course I will still be here when I can but she is wanting to keep the integrity of what we have here by having me by her side while she starts this project.”

Toni scanned the crowd and saw Jughead nodding and smiling at her proudly. He raised a hand. “That sounds pretty good Toni, how much of your time will be spent in New York?”

She grinned knowing that he was trying to set her up to make her look good. “I have an arrangement with her for 6 months. I will be here every weekend working at the Wyrm and hosting the weekly meetings on Sundays. I will be reachable by phone of course and if I am needed, I can be home within the hour.” She scanned the crowed and saw a few head nods and smiles. She saw her grandpa eyeing her quizzically and she offered him a small smile.

“Who do we report to while you’re gone?” one of the younger Serpents asked.

“If there is an issue, you can contact me by phone, and I will let you know from there. Just think of this as me working a Monday-Friday, 9-5 job that will benefit us all in the long run, trust me.” Toni said.

“We trust you Toni, or we wouldn’t have made you Queen.” Fangs said from his bar stool.

“I’ll stick around if you have any more questions but meeting adjourned.” Toni announced as she walked towards her three friends, lined up along the bar.

“You have some explaining to do.” Sweet Pea chuckled.

Toni ordered a drink and quietly explained the predicament to the boys. They were as shocked as she was. “That’s harsh T, can the judge really do that?” Fangs questioned.

“Cleary.” Toni mumbled. “Because he did.”

“Man, that sucks Toni. We will do the best we can to help you through this.” Jughead promised.

Toni nodded “Thanks guys.”

****

Veronica knocked on Cheryl’s bedroom door with a bundle of sheets tucked under her arm. “I come bearing sheets for our new house guest.”

Cheryl looked up at her through bloodshot eyes, she had not stopped crying since the courthouse. “She’s not sleeping in here.”

“Well where is she going to sleep?” the raven haired girl frowned.

“On the couch,...I don’t know and I don’t really care.” Cheryl answered, occupying herself on her cellphone, trying to avoid eye contact with her friend.

Veronica cleared her throat slightly. “Cheryl...don’t you think you are being a little...childish?”

Cheryl’s head snapped up, dark eyes glaring at Veronica. “Come again?” she asked.

Veronica sighed. “Cheryl, like I said earlier, it’s not like Toni wants to be in this situation either. Living in a different city, uprooting her life, working with me, it’s all new to her as well. The least we could do is make her comfortable.”   
  


“That couch is comfortable, I'm sure it will suit her better than whatever she sleeps on in the Southside.” Cheryl bit back. "And if you like her so much, why don't you have her sleep in your room Veronica?" Cheryl finished, batting her eyelashes at her.

Veronica groaned in frustration. "This is going to be a long six months."


	9. Mini Shampoo Bottles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! As always, thank you to those who read and like this little story. There obviously is still plenty to come. I probably will start a one-shot series on the side as well so tweet me any ideas @tonicheryltopaz. I appreciate the kudos and the comments, I am honestly blown away just knowing people are reading this. I know it can be rusty at times but I enjoy writing and I enjoy this fandom, especially this ship. So combat your Sunday Scaries with some light reading and have a good week everyone.

Toni pulled up in front of Veronica’s building, her bike rumbling to a stop beneath her. She whistled through her teeth as she eyed the building in front of her. It was luxurious, the architecture was breathtaking. She sighed heavily as she dismounted her bike and hoisted her back pack up onto her shoulders. She made her way up the stairs and stopped at the glass doors. An older man dressed in a pine green suit opened the door for her.

“Are you Ms. Topaz?” he asked politely.

She furrowed her brow. “I am…” she answered cautiously.

“Great.” He grinned. “I will take your bag and your keys Miss.”

“Whoa!” Toni exclaimed, holding her hand up. “I appreciate that so much but uh, no one touches my bike except me” she explained kindly.

“I insist Miss, I will be gentle. Ms. Lodge prefers that I…” he began.

Toni cut him off quickly. “Listen. Jeeves..I really do appreciate it, but I got it. Just tell me where to take it.” She smiled.

He nodded once and explained how to access the garage and provided her an access code. “Just come back here when you are through and I will show you to the room.”

Toni smiled at him again and jogged back outside to park her bike.

*****

“She should be here any minute now.” Veronica mused as she brushed through her dark hair.

“My God, I know.” Cheryl responded. “Why are you acting like this is going to be some cinematic sleepover? She’s here for six months V, that is 180 days and I will be slumming it on the Southside 2 days from now.” She groaned.

“Cheryl, I honestly think this will be good for you…I…” an abrupt knock on the door interrupted the raven-haired girl. She angled her eyebrows towards the door, hinting for Cheryl to answer, but the red head did not budge. “Fine, I will get it.” Veronica huffed.

Cheryl heard the door swing open as Smithers announced their guest.

“Welcome to our humble abode Toni.” Veronica greeted her giddily.

Cheryl listened for a smart-ass response from Toni but none came. She curiously peeked at the door and saw a Toni she had not seen yet. She looked smaller, apprehensive, maybe even a little scared. She watched as the pink haired girl clutched her back pack nervously, her finger nails digging into the straps. She rocked back and forth on her feet, her boots squeaking quietly under her weight . Cheryl smirked to herself, pleased with the nervousness of the Serpent. Toni couldn’t be cocky all the time and Cheryl was satisfied that she could contribute to her feelings of discomfort. She listened as Smithers and Veronica exchanged a few more words and then he was gone. Cheryl watched as Veronica lead Toni into the main room. The pink haired girl trailed slowly behind her, almost too scared to walk all the way in. Cheryl’s smirk faltered a bit as the girl got closer. She really did look utterly uncomfortable. Cheryl swallowed thickly, cursing herself for feeling sorry for the girl.

“And this is the family room.” Veronica said happily. “The kitchen is right over there.” She pointed towards the large kitchen with sleek silver appliances and marble countertops. “It is sort of an open concept.” She explained.

Toni nodded slowly back at her.

“There is a bathroom down this hallway you can use.” She pointed to the second door on the right. “Cheryl and I have our own bathrooms in our rooms, so that one is all yours.” The raven-haired girl grinned proudly.

“Thank you.” Toni said softly.

Cheryl pretended to occupy herself with a magazine but was still curiously watching the Serpent. Toni’s brown eyes met hers briefly and Cheryl’s heart clenched again with what she saw. Genuine fear and sadness reflected in the others girls brown eyes. Emotions that Cheryl has seen reflected back to herself when looking in the mirror. She cleared her throat and took her eyes back down to the magazine, not wanting to see or feel anymore from the girl.

“You will be sleeping on the couch. I apologize.” Veronica began.

Toni cut her off quickly. “Anywhere is fine with me.”

“Better than what you have on the Southside I am sure.” Cheryl mumbled, instantly regretting the malice.

Toni nodded her head in agreement. “True. I pretty much grew up couch surfing so I am sure it will feel like home in no time.”

Cheryl felt her cheeks redden. This was already becoming too much for her. Caught between wanting to comfort the shorter girl and wanting to tell her to shut up and fuck off, it was too much. “I am going to bed.” She announced, quickly locking herself in her bedroom.

Veronica and Toni looked at each other and shrugged.

*****

_ 12:07. 1:37. 2:50. 3:33. _ The clock read.

Toni could not bring herself to stay asleep in an unfamiliar place. The couch was comfortable. It was big, cozy, soft, and warm. Veronica had given her so many pillows to choose from along with a selection of blankets so vast she ended up grabbing one just because it was purple. With all those luxuries she could still not keep her eyes closed for more than two hours. She heard every little noise. She thought about her trailer at home. The creaks and groans it would make at night. The way it would shake slightly in the wind, and how it sounded when rain pounded on the roof. She missed the holler of a neighbor coming home late at night, and the barking of dogs. Even though she was in the heart of New York City, it seemed too quite.

She groaned again and buried her face in the pillow. As the clock turned over to 4 am, she heard the padding of feet down the hallway. She quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. The steps paused near her and it took all her power not to peek them open. The footsteps went into the kitchen and the culprit immediately began opening and closing cabinets and the fridge. Toni shifted slightly so she could look into the kitchen. She saw the red head, leaning into the refrigerator, pale skin illuminated by the appliance light. She watched as the girl made her way to the kitchen island and began organizing all the items she had grabbed. Toni couldn’t see what she was doing but she didn’t have to wait long to find out. The sound of a high pitched motor and the sound of blades grinding up ice and fruit pierced through the room.

Toni groaned loudly. So loud that the blender stopped as Cheryl glanced over at her curiously. “Are you just doing that to be a brat?” Toni asked, exhaustion clear in her voice.

Cheryl shook her head, smirking slightly. “On the contrary. I do this every morning at 4 am sharp, followed by an hour in the gym, a shower, an egg white omelette, and then off to work. If it is bothering you then..well..that is just an added bonus.” her white teeth flashed with a smile.

“That’s quite the routine...but getting up a 4 am every day sounds miserable.” Toni yawned.

Cheryl shrugged, taking a sip of her smoothie. “Small talk is not part of my routine so if you will excuse me.” she walked back towards her room with her smoothie clutched in her pale hand.

Toni caught a glimpse of her face as she walked by the couch. “Hey Cher.” she called after her.

Cheryl stopped abruptly, turning to face the pink haired girl. “What?”

“Are you wearing makeup?” Toni asked quietly.

“No Toni, I cannot look runway ready 24/7.” the red head huffed. “And do NOT ever call me Cher again, got it?”

Toni blinked her brown eyes in surprise. “Sorry I...I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant you look..umm..you look good..for 4 am. And the name slipped out. Sorry I am really tired, don’t pay attention to what I am saying.” 

“I don’t.” Cheryl responded, slamming the door to her room.

*****

Thursday went by quickly and soon it was Friday morning. Toni was already buzzing to head back to Riverdale after Cheryl got off work. She watched the red head make her omelette and was itching to ask her the plans for the night but did not want to start a fight.

“Hey Cheryl?” Toni asked carefully.

Cheryl looked up in acknowledgement.

“You want me to pick you up from work or do you want me to wait for you here?” Toni asked as nicely as she could.

Cheryl stared down into the skillet, moving the egg around slightly, obviously deep in thought. “I will have Smithers drive me...I will come back here, I will have to change and grab my bag.” she answered through clenched teeth.

Toni nodded and turned her attention back to the TV.

Veronica joined the girls in the main room, dressed in a silk black robe and slippers. “Toni.” she addressed the pink haired girl. “I am actually going to Riverdale today to spend the weekend with my Archiekins. How about we head there early, perhaps you and I could make an appearance to the Serpents?” she asked sweetly.

Toni felt a grin take over her face. “That would be awesome, I will let them know we are coming and I will go get ready.” she ran off to the bathroom down the hall.

“Really Veronica?” Cheryl droned.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“I don’t buy those doe eyes for a second. You are just doing this to make sure I show up there after work.” Cheryl said placing her hands on her hips.

Veronica shrugged innocently. “No, but that is a good idea, I will take your bag now so that way all Smithers will have to do is pick you up from work!” she exclaimed.

“Oh my god! That is so incredibly nice of you Veronica.” she clasped her hands together, using the fakest voice she could muster up.

“Hey, are you riding with me?” Toni walked back in the room, interrupting the two other girls. She held up a black, shiny helmet towards Veronica.

The raven-haired girls lips curled into a devilish smirk, her eyes glancing briefly at Cheryl. “Why not Toni, I am feeling daring today. You will just have to help me secure Cheryl’s bag to the back.”

“Not a problem, I’ll meet you downstairs.” the smaller girl said grabbing her backpack and Cheryl’s. She closed the door behind her.

“Text me when you are on your way tonight.” Veronica said, pulling Cheryl in for a forced hug. She sauntered towards the door.

Hey V.” Cheryl called.

Veronica turned around in acknowledgement.

“It’s not working.” the redhead said flatly.

“What’s not?” Veronica asked tilting her head.

“This.” she responded moving her finger in a circle in the air. “Whatever little game you are pulling. I’m not jealous.” she said folding her arms.

“I know Cheryl, I am just trying to get to Riverdale, if that’s on the back of Toni’s bike, it's on the back on Toni’s bike.” Veronica answered, giving her one last smile and left the apartment. 

Cheryl’s eyes lingered on the closed door for far too long. Visions of Veronica’s body clinging tightly to Toni’s small body flickered in her mind. She clutched the marble countertop with her nails. Cheryl Blossom was not jealous. She repeated it over and over in her mind but the images did not go away. Cheryl Blossom was jealous.

*****

The ride to Riverdale was uneventful. Toni wasn’t used to having anyone on the back of her bike and Veronica squeezed the air out of her lungs at the beginning. By the time they were out of the city she relaxed. Toni smiled when she saw Veronica grinning and taking in the scenery. She of course didn’t have any feelings for Veronica but she was quickly turning into a friend. Even though they met as strangers, the raven haired girl had her back so far with this weird situation. She knew that she was just doing in for the sake of Cheryl, but Toni appreciated it nonetheless. 

Toni pulled up to the Whyte Wyrm, her body immediately feeling at ease. She had only been gone since Wednesday night but she felt like it had been months. She helped Veronica off the back and lead her towards the door. “Don't be nervous.” she said happily.

Veronica gave her a reassuring smile. “Trust me, I have had to deal with my dad’s old crew. Nothing can really shake me anymore.”

Toni nodded and lead her into the dark bar. The Serpents were already gathered there taking up most of the tables and all of the bar stools. Toni went up to the small stage and hushed the crowd with her hand. She saw many smiles in the crowd and it warmed her heart when she saw Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead front and center. She could even see her grandfather, tucked in a chair next to Sweet Pea, making him look a lot more frail than he was. He had a blanket wrapped around his small frame, and his oxygen tank standing next to him. Her heart clenched at the sight.

“Hey everyone.” she said casually.

They cheered in greeting.

“Long time no see.” she laughed heartily. “Thanks for all coming again at such short notice. As I told you guys earlier this week, I would be working for Veronica Lodge.” she motioned towards the girl standing next to her. “She is in town for the weekend and wanted to stop by and say a few words to you all.” Toni stepped aside so Veronica could have the floor.

She straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. “Hello Serpents, thank you so much for having me.” she began. “I just wanted to come by and thank you all for letting me borrow your Queen for the time being. As I am sure Toni explained, I have recruited her assistance for my Southside project.” she shifted nervously. “I know my father had tried this in the past...but he used deceit and illegal business tactics for his own benefit.” she paused. “I want to make sure those who make up the Southside have a say in the Southside. I don’t want to come in pretending to know everything when I don’t. I respect you and what you have going here. So, with the help of your Queen I hope to continue to build up what you have and create new job opportunities for those without or for those just looking to make a change.” she smiled at the crowd. “So, enjoy the weekend with your Queen, because come Monday we are going to work.” she clapped her hands together.

The Serpents cheered in approval, clearly intrigued and hyped up by Veronica’s words to them.

“Thank you Veronica.” Toni said, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. “Let’s have a good day Serpents.” she yelled jumping off the stage.

Toni made her way over to her friends, Veronica trailing behind her. “Want to have a drink with us?” Toni asked the girl. 

Veronica gave her a coy smile. “It is not even noon Antoniette. I have an image to maintain. Plus, Archie is outside waiting for me but text me if you need anything this weekend and don’t let Cheryl give you too much hell.” she shook her head laughing as she walked away.

The boys quickly surrounded her, hounding her with questions about her day and a half in New York. They kept their voices to a low when talking about Cheryl.

“She keeps to herself for the most part and has an annoying morning routine that I need to learn to try and sleep through. The place is very nice, just still very unfamiliar to me. I'm sure it will take some time.” Toni said, trying to make light of the situation.

The boys nodded in agreement and ordered them a round of drinks. Toni stayed at the Wyrm until about 5, knowing she had to return at 9 for her shift. She caught up with her grandfather and the other Serpents and stumbled back to her trailer. She had four hours to try and sober up. It was not like Toni to get drunk in the middle of the day but she got caught up in the moment. She cursed herself as she fell over a pair of boots she had left near her door. She had about an hour or so until Cheryl was due to show up. She gazed around the trailer, already embarrassed by her place. She dusted, folded blankets, organized her DVD’s, made her bed, and cleaned the bathroom. She had drunkenly shot Cheryl a text with her address, hoping it made sense. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand. 6:15, she should be here any minute. A knock on the door proved her right.

Toni took a deep breath and opened the creaking door. On her steps stood Smithers, Cheryl, and an older female Serpent, affectionately called Ducky.

“This girl came knocking on my door lookin for ya.” Ducky said chuckling.

Toni felt her stomach flip with nerves when she saw the anger shining in Cheryl’s eyes. Fuck. Maybe that drunk text was not as clear as she thought. 

“Thanks Ducky.” Toni hiccuped and opened the door wider for Cheryl and Smithers.

“You can leave now Smithers, I apologize about the error on Toni’s part.” Cheryl said sharply, eyes scanning the small space. 

Toni felt completely exposed. She was used to people coming over, but the people she had over also lived in trailers. She felt judgement radiating off the red head.

Cheryl stood in the middle of the room. “You said 215 in your text…” her voice trailed off.

“Sorry...I meant 225...I had a bit to drink this afternoon.” the pink haired girl admitted.

“I can tell…” Cheryl’s voice trailed off. 

Toni shifted on her feet nervously. “Well..I can give you the grand tour if you want, your bag is in my room.”

Cheryl nodded and waited for Toni to show her around.

“As you can see, we are standing in the family room, the kitchen is behind this little wall here. I am going for the open concept as well.” she giggled to herself. “Down this hall is the bathroom on the right, we have to share. Straight ahead is my room.” she lead her into the small room. Toni smiled proudly at her little room. It had a full bed, a nightstand with a lava lamp and a digital clock, a chest of drawers, and a full length mirror she had hung up herself. Photographs littered the walls. All of them taken by Toni. “You can sleep in here of course, I will take the couch.” Toni announced.

Cheryl’s dark eyes took in the room. It was small, it was plain, but it felt authentic. Everything held emotion. Cheryl could feel Toni’s presence in the small space. She sighed heavily. “Nonsense. You have the couch at my place, it is only fair I take the couch here.”

“I have a shift tonight, so feel free to make yourself at home. The TV out there is antenna, but I have a DVD player hooked up. I can make you some food too if you want before I go.”

“No thank you.” Cheryl answered, still awkwardly standing in the room.

“Okay...well like I said I had too much to drink, so I am going to take a nap before I have to go in.” Toni said plopping down on her bed.

Cheryl nodded, grabbed her bag and closed Toni’s door behind her.

She made her way into the family room and rummaged in her bag for some comfortable clothes. Since Smithers had picked her up from work she hadn’t got to change. She opted for some black leggings and a pink Nike hoodie. She smiled happily, finally free of the constraints of her work clothes. Cheryl always looked forward to Friday’s. Although she usually spent the weekend studying, she loved being able to have time to herself. She got her laptop booted up and decided to put on a movie for background noise. She sat down in front of Toni’s small TV and began running her finger along the DVD collection. She suppressed a laugh when she saw the movie selections. With Toni’s personality she was expecting a lot of  _ Fast and Furious t _ ype stuff. Instead, she had a Disney collection larger than Cheryl had when she was a child. She also saw the movies were in alphabetical order. She grabbed  _ A Bug’s Life _ and snuggled back into the old couch. She found herself focusing more on the movie than her homework, even giggling at some of the on screen antics. She was so into the movie she didn’t notice Toni had emerged from her room.

“This is a good one.” Toni said, eyes focused on the screen.

Cheryl jumped in surprise. “Yeah.”

“You look cozy. I’m not used to seeing you like this.” Toni chuckled. “I guess I won’t be seeing you out tonight then?” she joked.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “No, I have far too much to do and I absolutely am not in the mood to be around your obnoxious friends. If the guys in Vegas are anything like the people here, I’d rather have a lobotomy.”

Toni just laughed as she walked into the kitchen rummaging for a snack. “You want some tea Cheryl? I always like to have tea when I watch a movie.”

“I only drink Chamomile or Detox...so if you have one of those sure.” she answered.

Toni walked back into the room, clutching two boxes. “I have both Bombshell.”

Cheryl’s face flushed red at the nick name. “Chamomile then please.”

Toni smiled and disappeared again. She hummed to herself as she moved around the kitchen. “I’m gonna make a frozen pizza too, feel free to grab a slice.” she yelled from the kitchen as she placed it in the oven. She got no response back. Once the tea and pizza were done, Toni took a cup and a plate into Cheryl with two pieces of pizza on it. “You can have more, I just didn’t know how much you wanted.”

“Thanks.” Cheryl mumbled, grabbing the cup carefully and searching quickly for a coaster. 

“You can just set it on the table, same with the plate. I can always clean later.” Toni said, waving a hand nonchalantly. “But, I am gonna head out, gotta stop and see someone before my shift.”

Cheryl raised an eyebrow at her.

Toni smacked her forehead. “That sounded weird. I am going to see my grandpa, no worries Bombshell.” She threw her Serpent jacket on and headed out the door.

*****

Toni had been gone 4 hours. It was approaching midnight. Cheryl was not sure how long her shifts were, but she figured with a bar on the Southside she probably wouldn’t be back until 2 or 3. She didn’t care that Toni was gone, she just felt anxious every time she heard a noise outside. Part of her wished she had went to the bar with Toni just so she would not have to be sitting here alone making herself crazy. Boredom was also setting in. She had watched a couple movies and had reached a suitable stopping point on her paper. She got up to stretch and her feet carried her into Toni’s room. She wasn’t snooping she just wanted to look at the photos she had seen earlier. There were photos of Toni on her bike, photos of her with other Serpents, a photo with an older man she assumed to be her grandfather. There were photos of buildings, landscapes, of the sky. She noted that there did not seem to be any photos of Toni’s parents, if she had them. Cheryl had no idea. The slam of the front door caused Cheryl to hurry out of the room. She ran into the bathroom to hide, locking the door behind her.

“Cheryl? You in there?” Toni knocked softly.

Cheryl let out a sigh of relief. She composed herself and opened the door slowly. “I’m fine, just was washing my face before bed.”

“Oh..okay. I got off early, my hangover from earlier was setting in.” Toni laughed. “I guess my nap didn’t help.”

“I guess not...goodnight Toni.” Cheryl said, sliding past the pink haired girl.

She returned to the couch she had been sitting on all night and curled up under a blanket that Toni had left for her. Much like Toni in New York, Cheryl was having the same problems trying to sleep. She heard barking dogs, engines roaring, people talking, metal clanking, the trailer groaning. It was like she was in a cage and someone was banging on the metal bars around her. She held her pillow over her ears in frustration. When she was young and couldn’t fall asleep she would go into Jason’s room. She would wake him up and he would tell her a story. She burrowed deeper into the pillow, willing her eyes closed, and told herself a story.

****

Cheryl awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. She blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the unfamiliar space. She must’ve dozed off at some point because the dusty clock above the TV read 10 AM.

“What happened to 4 AM Blossom?” Toni laughed deeply from the small kitchen.

Cheryl blinked a few more times, getting the sleep out of her eyes. “I...I don’t know, I guess I had a long day.”

“Nothing wrong with that, it’s good to sleep in now and again, it’s good for the soul.” Toni mused. “Coffee?”

“Please.” Cheryl said simply, her voice thick with sleep.

Toni poured her a cup and walked it to the couch. “You like bacon?” she asked.

Cheryl shook her head. “Not to sound...ummm..boujee but I only eat turkey bacon.”

Toni winked at her. “Ya know, I suspected that. I picked some up this morning.”

Cheryl felt warmth radiate her body. “You..you what?”

“Don’t sound too surprised Bombshell, I can be thoughtful sometimes.” Toni chuckled as she piled a few strips onto a plate for Cheryl. 

Cheryl took a bite and hummed in approval. “Not bad.”

“So, I work again tonight. 5 til close.” Toni began. “You can come or not. Until then I am probably just going to tinker on my bike and maybe go on a ride with the boys if you wanna come.” she offered.

Cheryl glanced around the room, not wanting to be coped up in there all day, but she did not want to ride on Toni’s bike either. “I have a lot of work to do, I’ll probably just hang around here.”

Toni shrugged and disappeared into the room to get changed.

*****

Cheryl found herself bored out of her mind again. Toni had just left for work, looking a bit too good in her Serpent jacket. Seeing her like that had Cheryl in the mood for something. Chaos? Maybe. A sharp knock on the door had Cheryl jumping off the couch.

“Toni, it’s Sweet Pea.” he called through the thin door.

Cheryl rolled her eyes and thrusted the door open.

“Oh! It’s you.” he laughed.

“Toni left for work.” she said coldly.

“Ohhhh yeah, I forgot she started at 5 tonight. She just told me that. She left one of her bracelets in my trailer today, I was just returning it.” he said holding it out to Cheryl.

She grasped it in her hand and stared at the tall boy. “That all?” she asked, annoyance laced in her tone.

He shook his head and turned around to walk away. “Hey.” he turned back to face the red head. “You wanna come with me to the Wyrm tonight?”

“Sure.” she said without thinking twice. “I can be ready by 7.”

“I’ll be back then.” he grinned at her.

Cheryl closed the door and securely locked it, like Toni had showed her. She rummaged through her bag and knew just what she was going to wear. The dress from Vegas. Bingo. She laid it out over the couch and went to go take a shower. She could not believe the size of the shower. It was like an airplane bathroom. She laughed when she saw Toni’s shampoo bottles, they were hotel size, the small complementary ones. She placed her salon size bottles on the shower floor and turned on the water. She waited for it to heat up. She tapped her foot impatiently, it was taking forever to get remotely warm. She stepped in and enjoyed the little warmth it provided. She lathered the shampoo into her scalp, massaging it gently. She looked again at the little bottles of shampoo that Toni had. Her initial reaction was that Toni was dirt poor, but maybe she just used her money for other things. Cheryl picked one up and moved it around between her hands, running her finger over the smooth bottle. She popped it open and inhaled the aroma. It was surprisingly sweet. She closed the small bottle and placed it next to her large one. Toni Topaz was a mystery, a mystery that was becoming more and more intriguing to her.

***

Toni held a beer mug in her small hands as she dried it with a towel. She was listening to Savannah drone on and on to her about her cat and how it had scratched her couch again.

“What a shame.” Toni mumbled, busying herself with the mug.

Savannah’s high pitched voice keep chirping and chirping, driving Toni to the point of insanity. Toni glanced up and smirked coyly to herself. Her eyes were met with the cleavage of said annoying girl. Even though she got on her nerves Toni always appreciated what Savannah had to offer. She was one of Toni’s “regulars” and Savannah knew it.

“So Toni.” Savannah purred, her eyes moving up and down from Toni’s lips to her eyes. “I never got to give you your gift for becoming Serpent Queen.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “Savannah, you aren’t even a Serpent.”

“I could be...for the right person.” she reached her hand across the bar to stop Toni from drying the mug.

“That’s not a good reason to become one.” Toni countered. “And I have made it clear to you that…”

“Yeah, yeah I know. Toni Topaz doesn’t date. Toni Topaz doesn’t settle down. I get it.” the girl mumbled. “But..one night, come on. I know you like it like that.”

Toni shook her head, Savannah’s hand still on hers. Toni’s eyes gazed over her face. Blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, full lips. She was gorgeous, but it was part of the court order, Toni had to act like a married woman. Plus for some reason Toni could not fathom hurting Cheryl in that way. Even though this all wasn’t real, even though the girl had no problem being cold to her, she couldn’t do it.

“On second thought…” Savannah’s voice trailed off. “I think I may see a better option.” she giggled, her blonde hair turning towards the entrance.

Toni’s head snapped to the door, trying to see who could possibly look better to Savannah than her. Holy Shit.

Sweet Pea had just walked in, a beautiful redhead on his arm whose eyes immediately locked with Toni’s. She was wearing the dress from Vegas. The dress that had started this whole damn thing. Cheryl’s eyes darted down to the pale hand yanking on Toni’s over the bar. Toni saw her eyes flash, she knew this was going to get interesting. The duo was walking over to her.

“Don’t even try with her.” Toni mumbled, finally jerking her hand free from Savannah’s vice grip.

Cheryl and Sweet Pea finally made their way over to Toni and Sweet Pea shot her an apologetic look. “She seemed lonely.” he mouthed to his friend.

Cheryl leaned over the bar, her chest pushed up, making it look fuller. She clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them, eyeing Toni suspiciously.

“Hello beautiful.” Savannah said addressing Cheryl.

Cheryl straightened up, clearly enjoying this. “Hello.” she purred.

Toni gripped the dish rag tightly in her hand, clearing her throat slightly.

“Oh hush Toni, don’t you have some work to do?” Savannah said, scooting closer to Cheryl.

Cheryl’s dark eyes never left Toni’s, almost daring her to do something.

“I...she..umm..you can’t..she’s my..” Toni was at a loss for words.

Cheryl leaned over the bar, grabbed Toni by the back of the neck and yanked her forward so their lips were mere inches apart. “It’s fun to see you squirm.” she whispered breathily into Toni’s ear.

Toni shivered at the hot air on her skin.

Cheryl pulled back and took a quick glance at Savannah, she was watching the pair curiously. Cheryl Blossom was all about an audience. She tightened her grip on Toni’s neck and pulled her forward again until their lips touched. She slipped her tongue into Toni’s mouth, kissing the breath out of her for a solid 15 seconds before pulling back with a pop.

“I’m her girlfriend.” Cheryl said sweetly as she rubbed her thumb over her lips. “Isn’t that right...babe?” Cheryl said challenging the shorter girl.

Toni was still wide eyed and dazed from that kiss. “Umm..yeah...she’s..she’s my girlfriend. That’s her. My girlfriend. Nothing more, nothing less. Totally real. A girlfriend.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes at Toni’s bumbling.

“A girlfriend?” Savannah said arching an eyebrow. “Yeah right, Toni Topaz could not even commit to her vibrator.” she scoffed. “She doesn’t do that.”

“Well she does me.” Cheryl said sweetly, enjoying this all too much.

Toni still had her mouth open wide, not knowing how to process any of this. That kiss. Even if it may have been for a show, Toni was going to remember that kiss for a long time.


	10. Shots with Sweet Pea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Welcome back. I want to start by saying thank you again to everyone who reaches out on Twitter and leaves comments and kudos on here. It keeps me inspired. The end of this chapter is a little filler, building up to some bigger topics the girls will tackle in their sessions. Little fun fact, I am in grad school to be a marriage/relationship counselor and the homework mentioned is a real technique that is used to help individuals connect. I am going to post this and then put up my Christmas tree (oops). Enjoy and thank you so much for reading! Sorry for any typos, I have been distracted with Disney+, the possibilities are endless lol.

Toni’s shift went by too slowly for her liking. It had started with that kiss and she could not stop thinking about it. She messed up a couple of drink orders which she never does and she dropped two shot glasses on the ground. Damn that kiss. Of course she liked it. A person would be crazy not to enjoy a kiss from a girl as beautiful as Cheryl. It was the reason for the kiss that had her brain in overdrive. Did Cheryl do it to make Savannah jealous? Did she do it because she actually wanted too or just because she wanted to make a scene? Did Toni enjoy it because it was a good kiss or did she enjoy it because she wanted Cheryl to kiss her? She didn’t have any answers to those questions and it was driving her crazy. Savannah did take off after witnessing it, busying herself on the other side of the bar. Cheryl was still there though. Sitting in front of the pink haired bartender downing shot of shot with Sweet Pea.

“I think you guys have had enough.” Toni said firmly, eyeing the glossy eyes of the duo.

“T…come onnnn, one more, please, please.” Sweet Pea begged, batting his eyes at the Serpent Queen.

“Yeah T.T., just one more.” Cheryl whined.

Toni rolled her eyes at them. A smile threatened to take over her face at the nickname from Vegas. Cheryl seemed to favor that name when she was drinking.

“One more and that is it. I am not cleaning up after you two if you throw up.” Toni lectured.

Cheryl and Sweet Pea high fived in victory as Toni turned her back to pour them a shot. She filled the glass with mostly water and then added a dash of vodka for taste.

“Stop staring at my friend’s ass Red.” Sweet Pea laughed.

Toni’s ears perked up as she bit back a smile.

“Shut up, I am not looking at her ass. I..uh…I thought those were my jeans.” Cheryl argued back.

Toni turned around and placed the glasses in front of them. “You and I both know we don’t wear the same brand of clothes Cheryl.” Toni winked at her and watched her face go completely red. Toni glanced at her watch, her shift was coming to an end soon.

“So…how are you two planning on getting home?” Toni asked grinning at the drunken pair.

Sweet Pea’s head swayed slightly as he tried to come up with an answer. “Flying.” He busted out laughing, slamming his fist on the bar.

Cheryl laughed along with him. “I literally pictured you flying, like flapping your arms and everything.”

Toni eyed them both and nodded her head slowly. “Ah, I see. Flying. Okay, well I am going to be leaving soon so if any drunkies need some assistance now would be the time to ask.”

“Not riding on yyourrr bikeeee.” Cheryl slurred.

Toni giggled. “Trust me Bombshell, I know. I would lose you before we got off the parking lot. You’d fall right off.”

“Driveeee my car?” Sweet Pea asked, holding his keys on his index finger up to the pink haired girl.

She nodded and grabbed the keys swiftly. “Birdie, I am going to head out.” Toni called to the bar manager. “Come on you two.” Toni instructed as she came over to their side of the bar.

Sweet Pea stood up and swayed on his feet. Cheryl stood and her legs immediately gave out. She giggled as Toni gripped her elbow tightly to stop her from falling. This was going to be a task.

“Okay..Sweet Pea, please walk straight ahead, I am going to handle Cheryl.” Toni instructed as she leaned into the redhead's body weight, helping her stay upright. Cheryl’s head lulled to the side causing her warm breath to hit Toni’s neck. Toni did her best to stay focused on the task at hand, but Cheryl’s hands were getting exploratory. She ran her hand up and down Toni’s back, lowering it slightly each time. Eventually she rested it on the shorter girl’s backside and giggled to herself, causing more warm air to hit Toni’s neck.

“Cheryl.” Toni warned through clenched teeth, struggling to keep the girl upright.

“What T.T.?” she mumbled.

“Nothing, just try to keep your eyes open okay? At least until we get to the car.” Toni instructed.

“Okay.” Cheryl complied, her hand still firmly on Toni’s backside.

Toni managed to wrangle the duo up and get them in the car. She threw them both in the back seat and closed the door firmly. Toni hopped into the driver's seat and headed towards Sunnyside. Cheryl leaned forward and began tracing her index finger from the bottom of Toni’s ear down to her neck and back up again.

“Cheryl…put your seatbelt on please.” Toni warned.

“Sorry T.T., sometimes I just catch myself remembering how hot you are.” Cheryl slurred.

Toni felt her face burn with blush. “Okay…Pea…here is your stop.”

“Thanks T…just bring my carrr back tomorrow.” He slurred. “By the way you two are totally going to bang tonight.”

Toni shot her friend a warning glare. “I am completely sober Sweet Pea. That’s not going to happen, not when she is like this.” She pointed with her thumb to the back seat.

He gave her a thumbs up and made his way into this trailer. 

Toni carefully steered the vehicle to her trailer and parked it on the gravel drive.

“We have arrived.” Toni announced as she hopped out her door to get Cheryl out of the back seat. “Can you walk inside?”

“Of course I can.” Cheryl said as she tried to get out of the back seat, her heels and the gravel were not working well together.

Toni shook her head in amusement and grabbed a pale hand, pulling her gently to her feet. As they made their way into the trailer, a couple stray raindrops hit Toni’s cheeks. “I forgot about the storm tonight.” She mumbled.

The redhead stopped dead in her tracks. “Storm?”

“Yeah, I saw on the news this morning. Probably will storm until morning. I apologize in advance for the noise. The rain on a metal roof is definitely an acquired taste.” She laughed lightly, not noticing on how incredibly paler Cheryl had gotten.

Toni got the door opened and lead the red head inside. “Do you need anything before I head to bed?” she asked.

Cheryl shook her head and sat down slowly on the couch. She could hear the tiny water drops already starting to grow more frequent.

Toni gave Cheryl a strange look. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Cheryl looked straight ahead, nervously wringing her hands together. “I have never been one for storms…” her voice trailed off.

Toni bit her lip nervously. This whole night had been an emotional roller coaster and it didn’t seem like she would be getting off the ride anytime soon. “Well…I could stay up with you a little bit if you want. I can make you some tea to try and sober up .”

Cheryl’s glazed eyes met Toni’s; she saw genuine sincerity. “Okay….” The redhead said weakly.

Toni gave her a small smile and went into the kitchen just as the first roar of thunder rumbled the trailer. Cheryl let out a whimper of fear before she could even try to block it. Toni’s heart cracked at the sound. She quickly got the teapot on the stove and went back to Cheryl.

“Hey, it’s okay. Everything just sounds magnified in here, I promise. It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Toni smiled softly, seeing the fear in Cheryl’s eyes. It was unfamiliar to see fear in those brown orbs, but Toni could tell it was real. The redhead was petrified.

Toni grabbed a blanket and draped it over Cheryl’s lap. “Want me to get those heels off for you?” Toni laughed as she eyed the strappy ensemble in front of her. “It kinda looks like a Rubik's cube but I am sure you will be more comfortable with them off.”

Cheryl nodded in agreement and stuck her feet out from under the blanket.

Toni kneeled down on the ground and began undoing and loosening all the straps that made up Cheryl’s heels. She chuckled in amusement “I seem to remember you doing this for me about a week ago.” she said as she finally got one off and then another. The tea kettle whistled from the kitchen.

“That’s my cue. Be right back.” Toni announced sprinting towards the kitchen and returning shortly with two cups for the girls.

Toni plopped down next to Cheryl on the couch and set their cups on the table. The wind roared outside and the rain pounded mercilessly on the roof. Toni shifted uncomfortably trying to think of how to take Cheryl’s mind off it.

“That was cool of you to hang out with Sweet Pea tonight.” Toni said, breaking the silence in the room.

Cheryl nodded as a small smile touched the corner of her mouth. “He isn’t too bad. Plus, I think him, and Josie are still texting a bit. If he is going to be around, I might as well see what he is all about.”

“Yeah he mentioned that. It’s kinda cool. Maybe something good can come out of all this huh?” Toni chuckled.

Cheryl leaned further back into the couch, pulling the blanket up to her chin. “Yeah…maybe.” Cheryl’s mind was still hazy and she would do just about anything to get her mind off the storm. She also had some drunken courage, now would be the time to ask Toni anything she wanted to know and maybe she would tell her.

“Toni?” Cheryl asked softly.

Toni angled her body towards the red head to show she was listening.

“Why do you have little shampoo bottles?” Cheryl whispered.

Toni let out a slight chuckle. “Ohhh Bombshell, the things you notice.”

“I’m serious.” She persisted, her eyes getting heavy. The tea and Toni distracting her were working.

Toni sighed heavily and brushed her hand lightly over Cheryl’s. She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what to say. “Back in the day I was in a situation... I umm..needed help. I needed basic life things like shampoo, new clothes, shoes, things of that nature. I want to say it started when I was 10, almost 11. Fangs’ mom worked at a motel down by the highway, she still works there actually. She started collecting as many of those bottles as she could for me, without it being obvious. It helped me out a lot..with..umm..with my situation.” Toni began, being as vague as possible. “So she did that for me and she hasn’t really stopped. She still brings me them and it still helps me out so..yeah..” Toni trailed off.

Cheryl stared at the tanned skin girl, drinking in every word she said. “That’s…that is nice of her.” Her curiosity was still peaked. What happened to Toni?

Toni giggled as Cheryl’s eyes flickered open and closed. “You can sleep Cheryl, you should sleep while you can.”

Cheryl nodded and leaned down, her heavy head falling into Toni’s lap. “Toni…” she mumbled one more time, voice thick with exhaustion.

“Yeah Cheryl?” Toni asked, brushing her hand through the girls red hair.

“Where….” She yawned. “Where are your parents?”

Toni stiffened slightly, but quickly went back to stroking Cheryl’s head. “Goodnight Cheryl.”

****

Cheryl awoke the next morning curled up on the couch in the lap of Toni Topaz. The small Serpent had fallen asleep sitting up with Cheryl’s head in her lap. Cheryl could not believe she had stayed there through the night, her tanned hand still entangled in Cheryl’s red hair. She gently removed the hand as she sat up slowly, surprisingly not as hungover as she was expecting to be. Cheryl looked around the small trailer, smiling in victory that she had made it through her first weekend on the Southside. “Only 23 more weekends to go.” She mumbled standing up to stretch.

Toni stirred from the loss of weight on her lap and opened her brown eyes slowly. “Oh! Good morning.” She smiled.

“Good morning.” Cheryl mumbled, feeling Toni’s eyes burning into her. She knew the girl probably had a million questions and Cheryl was not in the mood to answer any of them.

“You want to talk about last night over some breakfast?” Toni asked sweetly.

Cheryl scoffed, and her stomach turned with nerves. Toni was ready to just jump right into it. “There is nothing to talk about.”

Toni sighed. “Perhaps not….but I don’t like to dance around things I guess…”

Cheryl squinted in annoyance and whipped out her phone to text Veronica to tell her to have Smithers swing by when he picked up the Latina. “It seems like your dancing around it now.” Cheryl challenged.

Toni stood up from the couch so that she was standing in front of Cheryl. “You kissed me last night.”

“I did.” Cheryl said, looping a stray piece of red hair around her finger.

“Why?” the pink haired girl asked softly.

“I was bored. I felt like messing with the blonde floozy and I was drunk.” Cheryl stated.

Toni smirked slightly. “You hadn’t started drinking yet when you kissed me.”

Cheryl felt the familiar heat of anger raise to her face. “Don’t flatter yourself Toni.”

Toni raised her hands in defense. “Sorry, it was probably too early for this conversation…I just thought… I don’t know never mind. Thank you though for not telling her or anyone that you were my wife…makes things easier for me.”

Cheryl softened her eyes slightly. “You’re welcome…it is only fair since I expect the same from you. Plus, I still owe you from representing us in court since I didn’t want to involve my colleagues.”

Toni nodded in understanding. “So, you going to ride back with me this afternoon?”

Cheryl shook her head vigorously. “Absolutely not. I will not ride on that thing. I just texted Veronica, Smithers will fetch me after he picks her up from Archie’s.”

“Ok. Well I am going to shower. If you are gone by the time I get out I’ll see you in New York.” Toni said simply, looking back at Cheryl as she walked into the bathroom.

Cheryl did not respond; she kept her eyes locked on her phone trying to act busy. As soon as she heard the click of the bathroom door closing, she started walking around the room like a caged animal. Fuck. What was going on? Toni took care of her last night. Toni asked about the kiss. Did she enjoy the kiss? Was she embarrassed of the kiss? Cheryl racked her own brain trying to figure out why she kissed Toni in the first place. Was she jealous of Savannah? No way, that couldn’t be it. Cheryl was clearly hotter than that bleached blonde tramp. Did she really genuinely enjoy making Toni uncomfortable? Yes, but all in good fun. Part of her wants to know everything there is to know about Toni Topaz, but the other part of her is telling her not to bother. That people do not genuinely care about her. Toni was just being nice last night. Cheryl had fallen asleep on her lap and Toni was just too nice to move, she didn’t really want to be sleeping there. That is what Cheryl told herself anyway. Toni was just falling court orders, being a wife. Sure, she didn’t have to make her cups of tea or buy her turkey bacon but there was no way that Toni enjoyed having Cheryl here this weekend. Cheryl’s phone buzzed breaking her out of her thoughts. The car was outside waiting.

Cheryl grabbed her bag and ran out the door without looking back. Smithers opened the door for her as she scooted across the leather seat to sit next to Veronica.

“You look…” Veronica began.

“I know I probably look a mess. I haven’t even looked at myself in the mirror this morning,” Cheryl responded, cutting her friend off.

Veronica chuckled. “That is not like you. What did you get up too this weekend?”

Cheryl pushed her body back into the seat trying to get comfortable. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Cheryl spent most of the car ride describing her weekend to Veronica, subtracting the thoughts she was having about Toni.

Veronica whistled lowly. “You kissed her? Well it seems like you had a good time. You got drunk at in bar in the Southside, kissed a pretty girl, and you slept through a storm. I told you that Toni would be good for you.”

Cheryl huffed in annoyance. “Veronica. I am getting really tired of you saying that.”

Veronica sighed gripping Cheryl’s hand. “I’m sorry. Let me explain. I think she is good for both of us. This situation. It is not ideal, but it has only been a week and I thought I would pick you up from her trailer and you would either be foaming at the mouth or I would be helping you hide a body.” She giggled. “But you seem relaxed. And in this short time Toni has shown me the true importance of what I am trying to do on the Southside. I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it justice, especially after what my father did. But Toni, she already rallied the Serpents for me, she gave me a platform to speak, she is the heart and soul of the Southside that I am trying to build. These six months will fly by if we all just try to help each other and not bring each other down.” Veronica said.

Cheryl chewed on her bottom lip. “There are just so many moving parts…things that are hard for me. That are going to always be hard for me.”

“I know Cheryl.” Veronica squeezed her hand. “But you guys have your first court counseling session tomorrow. I am sure you both can learn a lot from each other there as well.”

*****

That session came much too quickly for Cheryl’s liking. Toni had arrived back to Veronica’s place at about 8 that Sunday night and immediately curled up on the couch, mumbling a half-assed greeting to her. It had bothered the hell out of her. It kept the redhead up until almost 2 am tossing and turning. Her whole day was thrown off after that. By the time she arrived to the small office building at 5:30 she was exhausted. When Smither’s dropped her off she already saw Toni’s bike parked outside.

She made her way into the building and saw Toni sitting in the waiting room, her leg bouncing up and down, shaking her small frame. She got up the moment Cheryl came in and ran up to her. Cheryl took a couple steps back, surprised to see Toni looking so on edge.

“What’s your damage?” Cheryl asked sharply, noticing how bloodshot Toni’s eyes were too.

“Nothing, I just wanted to plan what are going to say before we go in there.” Toni said quickly.

Cheryl squinted at Toni, the anxiety was radiating off the small girl. “We just say what we want, calm down.”

“No, I don’t like this, I don’t do this. Let’s just tell her we are getting along, we are happy blah blah. The less questions the better.” Toni rambled.

“Whatever.” Cheryl said rolling her eyes. Just as she was about to sit down a short, young, brunette woman opened a side door. Her green eyes scanned the waiting room until they landed on Cheryl and Toni.

“Hey ladies. I am Gabby. Follow me.” She smiled politely.

Cheryl watched as Toni reluctantly got up and dragged her feet to follow the woman. Cheryl shook her head, still baffled at Toni’s behavior. This is the last place Cheryl wanted to be but she had no choice. Cheryl had also been to therapy before, so she knew the drill, her anxiety was not as high as Toni’s at the moment.

Gabby lead them into a small room with a leather couch and one leather chair. “If you ladies want to sit on the couch, I will sit across from you in the chair.”

Cheryl and Toni sat on the couch, a comfortable distance between them.

“So, thank you for coming today you two.” Gabby began, her eyes darting between the pair.

Cheryl nodded in greeting. Toni looked straight ahead.

“Let’s start with the obvious. I am a firm believer in having things out in the open.” the brunette started. “So you are court ordered to work on your marriage for…”

“Whoa let me stop you right there.” Toni interrupted, leaning forward slightly on the leather couch.

Cheryl turned and blinked at her shock, ready to reprimand her for being so rude, but Gabby looked calm as can be.

“What’s wrong Toni?” Gabby asked kindly.

Toni bit her lip shyly, her cheeks slightly rosy, embarrassed by her outburst. “I just...can we not call this a marriage please?”

Gabby cocked her head slightly, green eyes watching Toni intently. “Of course Toni. Do you mind telling me more about that?”

Cheryl rolled her eyes, already becoming annoyed by the whole thing.

Toni squirmed on the couch again trying to get comfortable. “I...I just don’t like the word. I think it is unfair how we are being forced into this. The judge in my opinion should be the one under question here for his weird legal tactics. What if Cheryl was a serial killer and he placed me in her residence for 6 months? Or vice versa? This whole thing is strange and I am tired of pretending to ‘work’ on something that doesn’t even exist.” she finished off her ramble with a heavy sigh.

Gabby nodded her head in understanding. “I understand Toni. You don’t want that label. Let’s maybe work together to come up with what we can call this? Cheryl do you have any suggestions?”

Cheryl picked on the skin around her index finger, cursing herself for damaging the area. Her manicurist would not like that. “Hmmm...I don’t know. Relationship? Contract? Situation? Unfortunate Predicament?”

“I am good with situation.” Toni answered in approval.

“Okay.” Gabby happily clasped her hands together. “Situation. How have you two been coping with this situation so far. Cheryl we can start with you.”

Cheryl glanced briefly over at Toni who had her eyes fixated on the ground. Toni’s whole demeanor was throwing her off. She was used to the happy go lucky Serpent. A chatty girl who always had a smile on her face. Cheryl had expected Toni to talk Gabby’s ear off the whole time, but seeing her so small and nervous was really making it a lot harder. “I..ummm..have been coping alright so far I guess. Better than I expected I would. It is hard to share a space with a stranger but hopefully as the weeks go by it will get easier.”

“That is great Cheryl and very true. The more time you both spend together, the more you will get to know each other.” Gabby smiled. “And Toni?”

Toni remained silent, staring at the ground. Gabby continued to smile at the pair as the seconds ticked by. The seconds turned into minutes and the Serpent still didn’t speak up.

“Can you answer her Toni? You are being so rude.” Cheryl lectured.

Gabby gently held her hand up to Cheryl. “Being comfortable with silence is a big part of the therapeutic process. If you don’t have anything to say right now Toni, that is okay.”

“She kissed me Saturday night.” Toni blurted out. “So I am trying to cope. Trying to get used to living in a strange place and walking on eggshells with her.” she pointed over towards the redhead. “But when she does stuff like that, it really throws me off.”

Gabby hummed in contemplation. “I see. So you are coping the best you can but maybe are having some confusing thoughts as well?”

Toni nodded in agreement.

“I will say this.” Gabby began. “Being in close quarters. Getting to know one another can cause some mixed emotions. I encourage you two to talk about those when they come up. Now I am going to give you both a homework assignment.”

Toni let out a groan, which earned an elbow to the ribs from Cheryl.

Gabby let out a small chuckle. “I think I am going to have fun with you two. But this assignment will be beneficial later down the line. You have a few weeks to work on it, we will be using it when I feel the time is right.” she paused to look at the girls in front of her. “It is called the Caring Day List.”

“What’s that?” Toni asked suspiciously.

“It is a list, used for a marriage...I mean situation intervention. Each individual will make a list of 10 items of things or actions that make them feel cared for. After the list is complete you will share it with your partner and choose a specific day where you will carry out something off their list.” Gabby explained. “For explain, Toni. If someone buying you flowers makes you feel cared for, then Cheryl, that day you would bring Toni flowers.”

“I have never been in a relationship or situation before so I am not sure what makes me feel that way.” Toni admitted shyly.

“Well that is why I am giving you a few weeks. You have time to think about it. To do some self reflection.” Gabby said happily. “So this was just a basic session, we will be covering more ground when you come back. Like I said, I know it is uncomfortable, but these next 23 weeks or so will be done before you know it. I guarantee you that you will have more to say next week.” she smiled at the pair.

“Thank you for your time Gabby.” Cheryl smiled and grabbed her purse to leave.

Toni mumbled her thanks as well and followed Cheryl out of the small room and onto the New York streets.

Cheryl turned sharply to face the pink haired girl. “What is your problem? You were so rude in there!”

Toni scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “No I wasn’t?”

“You totally were. Being silent, interrupting her, it was embarrassing.” Cheryl scoffed.

Toni looked down in defeat. “I was out of my comfort zone. You do understand that everything doesn’t revolve around you right? Me being quiet has nothing to do with you. It shouldn’t embarrass you, it should embarrass me.” she huffed. “Plus, you still are being rather silent about that kiss. You know what, I have no energy for this right now, I have other things to worry about.”

Cheryl’s shoulders dropped as she opened her mouth to apologize. She didn't consider how foreign this all may really be for Toni. Growing up on the Northside Cheryl's family was able to afford things like therapy. Her mother was always throwing her from one therapist to another, looking for people to "fix" her. It didn't occur to her that therapy may not have been an option for Toni growing up, whether she needed it or not. 

“Save it.” Toni said stepping towards her bike. “Smithers is right over there, I’ll see you at home.”


	11. Do I Look Like I Own Wine Glasses?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I am still watching that cuddle couch seen on repeat...oops. Anyways I have had a good time talking to you all on Twitter this week, more people have reached out and that has given me inspiration to reach out to people as well to try and make some friends lol! Find me @tonicheryltopaz. Sorry for any typos or errors, I try me best lol.

Cheryl chewed on the end of her pen as she sat on top of her bed. It had been a few days now since the first session and she was still reeling. Her and Toni’s interactions had remained limited, consisting of mumbled “hellos” and “goodnights”. It was driving her crazy. She wanted to talk to Toni about her outburst but didn’t even know how to start without getting too emotional about it. She ran over fingers over her notebook paper, huffing in annoyance. A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. The redhead smiled when she saw the face of Veronica in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” the raven haired girl asked, presenting her with a smile.

Cheryl nodded and moved a pile of papers to the side to make room for her friend. “Done for the night?”

Veronica groaned. “Yes, thank god. The Southside is a lot bigger than I thought. Toni and I have been pouring over a map for three hours now. I just need to find a starting point.” she rubbed her temples slowly.

Cheryl nodded as she listened to her talk. She noted how her heart seemed to skip a beat at the mere mention of Toni’s name.

“What are you working on?” Veronica asked curiously looking to Cheryl’s notebook in her lap.

She let out a growl of frustration. “This list our counselor asked us to work on. I thought it would be easy but it is turning out to be incredibly irritating.”

Veronica smiled. “I think Toni was trying to do that earlier. She kept crumbling up papers, sighing, and then throwing them across the room. What is this list?”

Cheryl quickly explained the task to her friend. “And the sad part is now that I am trying to sit down and figure out what makes me feel cared for, I can’t. Obviously the only ‘relationship’ I have to go off of is Heather, and now that I think about it, I was the one doing things for her. I tried my best to keep her around, even sacrificing what was important to me. You saw how that ended...And you know my parents, nothing they did for me made me feel like I was being cared for...” Cheryl’s voice trailed off. “How pathetic is that.”

Veronica nodded her head sympathetically. “Well I think it is a good step just to realize all those things. This gives you the chance to mold it how you want. You can really think about what would make you feel happy. Hypothetically, what would you like someone to do for you that would make you feel cared for?”

Cheryl sighed again. “I know…it is just hard. It feels selfish.”

“It’s not selfish. You deserve to be happy too.” Veronica responded, gripping her friend's hand lightly.

“What does Archie do for you that makes you feel like he cares?” Cheryl asked timidly.

Veronica smiled longingly. “It’s the simple things I guess. I am all for extravagant gestures and displays of romance but the things that really get my heart racing are the small things. Like the fact that he remembers my coffee order and will surprise me with it when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. How he keeps a small bottle of my perfume on his nightstand when we spend weeks apart. Things like that. I could go on but you need to think about this for yourself.” She patted the red heads hand again.

“Thank you, Veronica,” Cheryl said

**“** You’re welcome...and Cheryl?” Veronica added.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement.

“You should talk to Toni.”

The redhead sighed dramatically. “Fine, I will go talk to Toni.”

Veronica smiled triumphantly and skipped out of the room.

Cheryl closed her notebook with a huff and padded down the hallway to find Toni. She found her curled up on the couch, her feet tucked under her small body. Her pink hair fell over her face as she scribbled in a notebook as well. Her lip was bit in concentration and her eyes were squinted as she reviewed the words on the paper. Cheryl cleared her throat quietly.

Toni’s brown eyes peered up and softened slightly at the sight of the redhead. “Hi Cheryl.” she said dryly.

“H-hi Toni, may I sit?” Cheryl asked timidly.

Toni nodded and closed her notebook to give the other girl her full attention.

“Toni..I wanted to talk to you about Monday.” Cheryl began.

Toni waved her hand. “It’s done and over, let’s not dwell ok?”

Cheryl shook her head in disagreement. “No Toni. I want to explain myself.” she said firmly.

Toni remained silent, waiting patiently for her to continue.

“I am sorry I got so mad at you for the session. I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. I...I have been to counseling before...a couple times actually.” her voice shook slightly.

Toni inched closer as she listened to Cheryl speak. Clearly this was hard for her. Toni could see a glaze of tears forming over her brown eyes and her lower lip shook.

“I guess what I am saying is it is not new to me. I forgot it was probably new for you. I remember the first time I went, how scared I was. It was against my will as well, like this is for you...for us.. Your reaction was completely valid and I am sorry.” Cheryl said, her voice quiet.

Toni blinked her eyes in shock. “Cheryl..that..I really appreciate that. Thank you for sharing that with me and for understanding where I was coming from.”

Cheryl nodded slowly, eyes fixated on the TV in front of her, not trusting herself to look at Toni. She was afraid she would burst into tears at the sight of her or feel like she should share more with her. She could only be so vulnerable.

“I also got a not so good phone call right before session so that didn’t help me.” Toni chuckled lightly.

Cheryl pressed her lips together to stop the millions of questions from flowing out. She took a deep breath and took a more casual approach. “Oh, is..is everything okay?” she cursed herself for how nervous she sounded.

“Yeah...for now. My uh...my grandpa. He is pretty sickly and Sweet Pea called me. He had taken a slight fall. It was nothing major but it was enough to have Sweet Pea calling so I got a bit spaced out.” Toni confessed.

Cheryl felt her heart rate increase. It was the first time Toni had opened up about her personal life. She had heard her talk constantly about the Serpents and she had wrestled bits and pieces of vague information out of her about her childhood, but never had she gotten anything concrete. She decided to play it cool so she would not spook Toni. As if she were a stray cat.

“Your grandfather? I would like to meet him sometime…” Cheryl let it slip out before she could stop it. Fuck Cheryl, way to sound desperate. “I mean..if you want me to. I.. mean I hope he is feeling better.” her face flushed red as she tried to recover.

An amused smile played on Toni’s lips and she arched an eyebrow in suspicion. “You want to meet him?”

Cheryl gulped quietly and rubbed her hands over the fabric of her yoga pants. “Yeah..I mean if you want me too.”

Toni pursed her lips and nodded. “I think we can arrange that.”

Cheryl smiled and got up to leave.

“Cheryl..wait.” Toni called.

Cheryl turned to face the pink haired girl.

“Thank you...for talking to me tonight. I am glad you can see where I was coming from.” Toni said.

Cheryl gave her a small smile as she headed to bed.

*****

The next session was upon the pair before they knew it. After spending an uneventful weekend on the Southside Toni found herself back on the leather couch .Cheryl had been busy all weekend working on a group project for school so Toni did not press the topic of her grandfather. She felt relieved when the whole weekend had flown by without a mention of him.

“Welcome back girls, I hope your week was good.” Gabby started with a smile.

Both girls nodded, fake smiles plastered on their faces.

“How have we been feeling since last session?” Gabby asked happily.

Toni peered sideways at Cheryl before answering. “Better...I guess..Cheryl and I had a conversation last week that had me feeling better about everything.”

Toni noticed that Cheryl straightened up on the couch upon hearing those words.

“That is great, communication is key.” Gabby smiled. “And Cheryl..how did the conversation have you feeling?”

Cheryl toyed with the hem of her skirt. “I felt good also...but then kind of upset.”

Toni snapped her head over towards the redhead. Upset? She thought they had been on okay terms since then.

“Why upset Cheryl?” Gabby asked carefully.

Cheryl inhaled slowly. “It’s stupid, never mind.”

Toni found herself interjecting before Gabby could, feeling concerned at Cheryl’s admission. “Why are you upset Cheryl? She asked softly.

Cheryl turned to face Toni on the couch. “You told me I could meet your grandfather... I was at your place all weekend, cooped up in your trailer and you didn’t mention it once. I guess I was kind of looking forward to that..”

Toni’s mouth dropped slightly in shock. “I’m sorry...I didn’t know you really wanted too, you seemed busy with your project, I didn’t want to bother you.”

Cheryl nodded slowly. “That makes sense...and I guess I could have asked you…”

Gabby smiled at the duo, pleased by their exchanged. “See ladies, communication is key. If you are thinking or feeling something you need to say it. That could have all been avoided with a bit of honest and open communication.”

Toni gave Cheryl a little smile.

“So how are your lists coming along? Toni, I know you had some concerns last time about coming up with something.” Gabby asked.

Toni nodded enthusiastically. “I was..but I made some progress I would say.”

Gabby hummed in approval. “And Cheryl?”

Toni glanced over at Cheryl again. She seemed to flush red at the question and Toni noticed her picking on the skin of her index finger harshly.

“Umm..having some trouble with it actually.” her voice shook.

Gabby leaned forward slightly in the chair. “Can you tell us a little more about that.”

Toni noticed how Cheryl seemed to be curling into herself, growing more anxious at the thought of speaking on the topic. “Hey, it’s okay Cheryl, if you don’t want to talk about it we don't have too.” Toni whispered.

Cheryl seemed surprised at her words and blinked her eyes curiously at the pink haired girl. “Umm..yes maybe not now please?”

Gabby nodded and moved away from the topic.

*****

Cheryl felt emotionally drained after the session. She was feeling more confused than ever about everything going on. She actually enjoyed having Toni there today in session. It felt like she was in her corner, like they were working together. Toni whispering to her softly, trying to comfort her even though she didn’t know the reason for Cheryl’s silence. It spoke volumes to her.

Smithers dropped her off at Veronica’s building and she made her way upstairs. She opened the door and saw that Toni had beat her home. She was sitting on the couch, already changed out of her jeans and Serpent jacket. She was in a long black T-shirt, her hair thrown up into a bun. She had a large bowl of ice cream tucked into her hands. A smile touched Cheryl's face before she could stop it. Toni had ice cream every night. She knew that because Toni always left the bowl in the sink overnight. It used to annoy Cheryl. She would throw the bowl around in the sink, and rinse it out aggressively, hoping to wake the pink haired girl from her slumber. The past few days when she saw it in the sink, she smiled because it meant Toni had been there, that she was comfortable there.  God Cheryl you’re getting too soft with this girl.

Toni heard the front door click closed and she looked up from her bowl to see the redhead standing in the doorway. She gave her a small grin.

Cheryl nodded at her as she set her purse and keys down on the table. “Goodnight Toni.” she mumbled quietly as she headed down the hallway.

“Hey Cheryl wait a second, I wanted to run something by you.” Toni called after her, twisting around on the couch to look behind at her.

Cheryl walked back into the room, heels clicking loudly as she sat down on the couch, a comfortable distance from Toni. Cheryl saw Toni’s lips moving but her brown eyes immediately fell down to exposed tan thighs. They peeked out from under the black T-shirt. Either Toni had on extremely short shorts or she was not wearing anything but her underwear under the shirt ...or...nothing at all.

“What do you think?” Toni asked slowly.

“Hmmm?” Cheryl mumbled, eyes still fixated on the tanned skin. She kicked herself for not being able to remember touching them in Vegas. She probably ran her hands over them, the caramel skin was probably so soft.

“Cheryl?” Toni chuckled slightly.

Cheryl shook her head, breaking herself from her flustered state. “I am sorry, what did you say?” her face heated up.

Toni laughed again. “I said, what do you think about next weekend if we invite your friends Josie and Kevin with us to Riverdale? This weekend we have my grandpa, but I figured it may be fun. I could switch my Saturday to a day shift and me, you, Fangs, Sweet Pea, Kevin, and Josie could all go out…” her voice trailed off. “I don’t want you to have to stay cooped up in my trailer all the time and I know my company gets tedious for you.”

Cheryl felt her chest swell. “That…that sounds great Toni. I appreciate that.”

Toni grinned widely. “Cool. And I so totally saw you eyeing my ice cream, want me to make you a bowl Bombshell?”

Cheryl breathed a sigh of relief that Toni thought she was devouring the ice cream with her eyes and not...well, her. “Sure, why not?”

Toni spooned the last bit of her melted, vanilla ice cream into her mouth, dropping some onto her black shirt as she got up to make Cheryl a bowl.

Cheryl shook her head in amusement. What was this girl doing to her?

*****

The weekend came quick again and Toni found herself on her bike by 8 AM Friday morning, speeding to Riverdale. She was meeting with Jughead, and F.P. to discuss what her and Veronica had been up too.

She dismounted her bike and walked up to Jughead’s trailer, letting herself in. He was already seated at the kitchen table with his father, giving her an amused smile.

“Hey guys.” Toni said, adjusting her jacket and sitting down next to them.

“What do you got for us kid?” F.P. asked, taking a swig of coffee out of a mug he had on the table.

Toni leaned forward eagerly. “A lot actually. Veronica and I finally found a starting point.” The pink haired girl pulled a folded up map out of her jacket pocket and opened it onto the kitchen table. “So…” she pointed to a street near the middle of the map. “We are starting with 7 th street. We have been making calls and inquiries to local business owners, and 7 th street is the most depleted street it seems.”

Jughead held his chin in between his thumb and index finger as he eyed the map.

“The majority of the buildings there are abandoned or on their last legs. We are basically going to go one building at a time, see if it is salvageable and kind of go from there. She will make sure everything is up to code before moving forward obviously.” Toni stated.

“And what about the other parts of the Southside, that is just one street.” F.P. inquired.

Toni nodded, eager to explain more to them. “Well it will take awhile to get all those buildings checked and updated so in the meantime we will be updating and revamping existing businesses. For example, I told her I think the library should be addressed.”

Jughead’s eyes lit up at those words as he leaned forward to listen more intently.

“I think it will be a good way to keep the younger kids off the streets. It needs new books, new computers, new staff, but Veronica is willing to make a donation.” Toni said happily.

F.P. nodded in thought. “Sounds too good to be true honestly.”

Toni nodded in agreement. “Which is exactly why I am there with her. To make sure it is legit and to make sure she understands the gravity of all this.”

Jughead placed his hand over his friends small one. “I think this is a great start Toni, and it hasn’t even been a month. Keep it up.”

Toni smiled at the duo as she folded the map up into her pocket. “I am going to head over to my place, but Jughead can I have a word outside?”

He nodded and followed her outside.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Toni sighed. “Cheryl wants to meet my grandpa.”

Jughead furrowed his brow in confusion. “So?”

Toni threw her hands up in the air. “What do you mean so? That’s a big deal isn’t it?”

Jughead’s mouth opened into a wide grin. “I see what is going on here.”

“What do you mean?” Toni demanded with her hands on her hips, nails digging into her leather jacket.

“Oh, I don’t know Toni. It is pretty obvious. Maybe I will let you figure it out yourself.” He laughed as he adjusted the dark beanie on his head.

The pink haired girl continued to glare at her friend, not amused by his cryptic demeanor.

He sighed lightly and guided the pair to sit on the trailer steps. “Think about it. If this were just any other person off the street, why would you even care about introducing them to your grandfather? Yes, she is your secret, temporarily wife, but that’s not why you care because you can easily lie you’re way out of that. You like her.” He said simply.

Toni laughed loudly. “I do not like her Jones. Take the beanie off your head, your brain needs some air.”

Jughead shrugged and stood up. “If you say so…but I don’t know why else you would be all up in arms over this.”

Toni stood up to go to her trailer, and waved goodbye to her friend who was still chuckling from the stairs.

Toni shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her Serpent jacket. She didn’t like Cheryl that way. She cared about her, sure. It was impossible not to care about someone who you see every single day. She lives with her, of course she would care about her. They are in therapy together for God sake. But like her? No that couldn’t be right. She liked the kiss and she would be lying if she said she didn’t think about that kiss for days after. She was physically attracted to her, but beyond that...Toni wasn’t sure.

Toni breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped in her trailer. The familiar setting brought her comfort. She plopped down on the couch Cheryl had been sleeping on during her weekend stays and was immediately hit with the aroma of Cheryl. She closed her eyes taking in the sweet scent and picturing the redhead that it belonged too. Fuck. She liked Cheryl.

*****

Toni stared at the clock as it neared time for Cheryl to arrive. She was sitting on the couch eagerly waiting to hear the knock on her door, when finally it came. She hopped up in a flash but stopped herself. She counted to ten before she opened it to not seem so eager. She was met with the brown eyes of Cheryl Blossom. “Welcome back.” she said as she swung open the door. She kicked herself for being so corny.

“Hi Toni.” Cheryl said quietly as she walked into the family room. Toni watched as the redhead placed her bag onto the couch and sat down the remove her heels.

“You’re a rockstar for wearing those everyday.” Toni chuckled. She cringed at herself again, rockstar? Where was this coming from? Fuck Jughead for calling her out.

Cheryl laughed lightly. “I guess so? I am so used to them by now I don’t even get uncomfortable.”

“What do you want to do tonight?” Toni asked casually.

Cheryl wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Aren’t you working?”

“No, they don’t need me tonight.” Toni shrugged.

“They don’t need their Serpent Queen? I find that hard to believe.” Cheryl countered.

Toni didn’t miss the flirty tone in her voice. She gulped quietly. “They need me for a double on Sunday..so tonight..it’s you and I.”

Cheryl rummaged through her bag trying to find some comfortable clothes.”I am going to change, then we can figure out our plans, ok?”

Toni nodded in agreement as Cheryl walked down the hall to the bathroom. As soon as Cheryl was out of sight, Toni allowed herself to freak out. She ran her hands through her pink hair trying to compose herself. She never spazzed out over a girl, and she sure as hell never allowed a girl to get into her head this way. Three weeks and she was turning into a middle schooler with a case of puppy love. “Snap out of it Topaz.” she mumbled to herself, hands still buried in her own hair.

“What was that?” a voice called from behind her.

Toni jumped in shock. “Oh..nothing. Want to order pizza or something?” she quickly diverted the topic.

Cheryl nodded in approval. “Plain cheese please.”

Toni began tapping away on her phone ordering the pizza for the duo. She sauntered into the kitchen searching the fridge for some wine. Was wine too romantic? She just wanted something to calm her nerves. Fuck it. “Cheryl, you want some wine?” she yelled into the other room.

“Sure.” Cheryl responded.

Toni reached into the cabinet and placed two plastic cups on the counter. She filled the cups with hearty portions and carried them into the family room. She saw Cheryl sitting on the couch, already tucked under a blanket. She had her hair pulled up into a bun on top of her head, with a couple loose strands hanging down. She was in a white hoodie that brightened her hair even more. “You look comfortable.” Toni mused.

“It’s been a day, I was more than happy to get into comfy clothes.” Cheryl responded eyeing the cup of wine. 

“Something wrong?” Toni asked.

Cheryl smiled wryly. “No...just can’t say I have ever had wine out of a plastic cup..it’s...charming.”

“Do I look like someone who owns wineglasses?” Toni smirked.

“I suppose not.” Cheryl smiled as she took a sip of wine and hummed in approval at the taste.

“You just wanna watch a movie or something?” Toni asked as she took a sip of her wine as well.

Cheryl nodded. “If that’s okay. I am just really tired.”

Toni bent down in front of her DVD selection and hummed as she searched for a film. Lady and the Tramp? No. Too Romantic. Cinderella? No, also too romantic. Her palms began sweating as her eyes scanned up and down the rows of movies. Pochahontas? Fuck no Toni, also too romantic. Her eyes landed on Toy Story. “Nothing romantic about toys running around.” she said under her breath. She rolled her eyes at herself and put the movie into the DVD player.

Cheryl eyed her curiously as she made her way over to the couch. Toni sensed her staring and sat as far away as she could on the other corner of the couch. A knock on the door broke Toni from her stupor. She got up to retrive the pizza and set the box between herself and Cheryl.

They began eating in silence as the movie droned on. Toni glanced over at Cheryl. She was intently watching the screen, chewing her pizza quietly. Piece by piece the pizza disappeared and Toni had chugged down the majority of her wine. She finally was relaxing. She reached for another slice and felt soft skin under her fingertips. She looked over wide eyed and saw Cheryl had reached for a piece at the same time. Like a damn Disney movie.

“Sorry.” Toni mumbled.

“You can have the last piece.” Cheryl said.

Toni shook her head profusely. “Go ahead and take it. I am just going to have some more wine.” she got up to walk into the kitchen.

“Can I have a refill too?” Cheryl asked sheepishly.

Toni nodded as she grabbed the empty cup from the redhead. She poured them both two more hearty helpings.

When Toni sat back down, Cheryl had already eaten the last piece of pizza and removed the box from the cushion between them. 

A comfortable silence was present between the pair as they stared aimlessly at the TV screen. Toni could not get her mind to stop buzzing about the girl next to her and the wine was only making her pining worse.

“You want some blanket?” Cheryl asked, holding it up to make room for Toni.

Toni squinted her eyes suspiciously at the redhead. “Is this a trap?” she joked.

Cheryl shook her head. “Offer recanted.”

“No, no, no, I would love some.” Toni exclaimed as she scooted towards the redhead. She sat with a safe space still between the pair, the blanket only covering one of her legs. A few minutes passed and Toni could have sworn that Cheryl started to move closer to her. Her suspicions where confirmed when she felt Cheryl’s cotton leggings brush gently against the exposed skin of her leg. Toni’s mouth went dry and she gulped. Play it cool Toni. This could all be in your head. She didn’t mean to brush her leg on you. She cleared her head again and went back to the movie. She felt the unmistakable feeling of soft fingertips tracing over the top of her hand. Without looking over at the girl Toni slowly turned her hand so that it was palm up to see if it was an accidental touch as well. To her surprise and delight Cheryl began to trace delicate patterns into the palm of Toni’s hand. She relaxed into her touch and released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

Cheryl’s patterns stopped after a few moments and she went to withdraw her fingertips. Toni acted swiftly and grasped her hand gently before she could retract it. She felt Cheryl tense for a second but then their fingers were interlaced. They both kept looking straight ahead, not daring to make eye contact with one another. Toni closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, internally freaking out. She knew this moment was special. She knew everything was about to change. Little did she know, the girl sitting next to her knew it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to add meeting Toni's grandfather in this chapter but I didn't want to cram it in. That will be the bulk of next chapter along with some revelations from Cheryl. Thanks for reading !


	12. Lone Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! This is an early update because I had some free time at work yesterday and I will be busy this week with the holiday so i won't have as much time to write. Thank you to all those that read this fic and leave me comments. I love to read your thoughts and it keeps me inspired. Also, I have really enjoyed talking to you all on Twitter, I am @tonicheryltopaz if you wanna chat about the fic or about life in general. Enjoy your week folks! Sorry for any typos.

Cheryl missed the warmth of Toni’s hand as soon as it was gone. The girls had sat the whole movie, hands intertwined in silent comfort. Cheryl was proud of herself for making the move, not quite sure where the burst of courage had come from. She had been aching to touch Toni’s skin since Monday night and she finally gave in. The little squeeze from Toni when they finally touched was all the confirmation Cheryl needed that Toni wanted to touch her too. They didn’t speak on it, which made it even more special. It was a moment of peace that they silently shared between the two of them. When Toni bid Cheryl goodnight after the movie she slept all night with a smile on her lips. It was glorious.

An even more glorious occurrence was waking up to Toni Topaz singing in the kitchen in a sports bra and tight shorts, showing off those tanned thighs again. Cheryl stretched her limbs slowly, not wanting the other girl to detect her presence just yet. She watched her stand over the stove, spatula in hand, and beautiful notes spilling from her plump lips. Cheryl watched her abs flex as she gripped the handle of the griddle. Totally oblivious was Toni to the redhead watching her and that made it even more pure to Cheryl.

The redhead got up and padded into the kitchen to watch her more closely. As soon as Toni caught sight of Cheryl a smile took over her face.

“Well good morning Bombshell.” She smirked.

“Good morning.” Cheryl answered, a smirk of her own on her face. “Why so cheery this morning?”

Toni paused her activity at the stove to face Cheryl. She looked her up and down before she spoke. “Hmmm…well do you want the truth?” she bit her lip lightly.

Cheryl nodded eagerly, blushing immediately.

“I had a good night with a beautiful girl, and I get to introduce my grandpa to said beautiful girl today.” She said boldly.

Cheryl eyes widened in shock; she was not expecting Toni to be so forward. She quickly composed herself. “A beautiful girl huh?”

Toni’s smile grew as she went back to her task on the stove. “Mmhmm..the most beautiful girl I think I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on.”

Cheryl blushed again. This was new territory for them. This was the flirty and forward Toni she had met in Vegas and instead of fighting it she was enjoying it. “That’s weird…”

Toni looked at her again and raised an eyebrow in question.

“I spent a good night with a beautiful girl too…the most beautiful girl I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on.” Cheryl responded, her eyes shining with mischief. She mentally patted herself on the back when she saw Toni’s eyes almost pop out of her head.

“Well she is a lucky girl if she got to spend a night with you.” Toni grinned as she plated some pancakes for the duo.

Cheryl was relieved that Toni didn’t press her about the hand holding. She could only handle so much at a time. Today was already fixing to be big with the meeting of Toni’s grandfather. The pair sat at the kitchen table and ate their pancakes contentedly. Cheryl watched Toni out of the corner of her eye. The pink haired girl hummed happily as she chewed on her pancakes and closed her eyes in approval as she sipped on her warm coffee. The redhead did not know what was happening to her. She thought about Heather. She never enjoyed watching Heather do mundane things like sip on coffee or eat ice cream, but watching Toni do them was utterly fascinating to her. Heather was always exhausting and confusing. Cheryl was always doing everything she could to stay on Heather’s good side, to keep things smooth. Toni seemed easy. Cheryl cursed herself for thinking of her ex but it was the only thing she had to make a comparison too. 

“I am going to get dressed and then we can head over to my grandpa’s trailer, ok?” Toni said as she got up and put their dishes in the sink.

Cheryl nodded and went to change as well.

Toni emerged from her bedroom a short time later. She had on tight black jeans, a purple crop top, and of course her Serpent jacket. Cheryl felt her mouth go dry. Had she always looked that hot in that jacket?

“You ready Bombshell?” Toni asked happily.

The redhead nodded and followed Toni out of the trailer. They walked a short distance until they stopped in front of another trailer. It was slightly smaller than Toni’s and was rusting near the bottom.

Cheryl noticed Toni take a deep breath in before she ascended the two stairs to the trailer door. She could feel the anxiety radiating off the small girl in waves. She noticed her hands shake as she reached for the door handle to push it in.

“Grandpa?” Toni called softly as the duo entered the small space.

Cheryl’s eyes scanned the room. All the blinds were closed making the trailer much darker than Toni’s. A small TV hummed in the background and cast a blue light over the family room. There were prescription bottles stacked on top of the coffee table along with newspapers and empty glasses. Cheryl spotted a frail man sitting in a reclining chair. He had an oxygen tank propped next to him on the ground and tubes up his nose. Cheryl immediately recognized Toni in the man’s features. The same tanned skin, the same large brown eyes. His mouth curled into a smile at the sight of his granddaughter. It warmed Cheryl’s heart.

“Antoinette. Is that really you?” he asked dramatically.

Cheryl watched as Toni rolled her eyes and knelt on the floor next to the recliner.

“It is me grandpa, I’ve missed you.” She said sincerely.

“I have missed you too my little city slicker.” He wheezed.

Cheryl saw Toni’s brow furrow in concern as she began grasping at the pill bottles on the table. They rattled in her small hands as she shuffled through them.

“Have you taken all your medicines today? Has Sweet Pea been keeping these organized?” the pink haired girl questioned, her tone laced with apprehension.

The old man waved his hand in dismissal. “Yes, yes settle down. Let me enjoy your company.”

Toni’s face relaxed slightly as she stood up from the floor.

Cheryl felt her anxiety spike when the old man made eye contact with her. His features softened as he eyed her in amusement.

“Who is this young lady?” he asked with a large grin.

Toni walked to stand next to Cheryl. “Grandpa, this is my friend Cheryl. She is roommates with Veronica, so we have become friends during my time in New York. She wanted to check out the Southside this weekend….and Cheryl, this is my grandpa, Thomas Topaz.”

Thomas extended his frail hand to Cheryl and she gratefully accepted it, squeezing it gently. “It is so nice to meet you Mr. Topaz.”

“Call me Thomas.” He said smirking.

“Okay, Thomas.” She nodded happily.

“Have a seat Cheryl.” Toni offered, gesturing to the run-down leather couch tucked against the wall. “Can I get either of you anything to drink?”

Cheryl and Thomas shook their heads.

“Just sit down Antoinette, sit and relax.” Thomas coughed, placing a handkerchief over his mouth.

Toni sighed in protest but sat down next to Cheryl on the couch. Every time her grandfather coughed or stirred, Toni was leaning forward, ready to spring into action. 

“Toni has never brought a lady friend over here, my granddaughter is a bit of a…a wanderer you know..” Thomas mused.

Cheryl saw Toni’s cheeks flare up with heat. The redhead bit back a laugh. “Is that so?”

Thomas nodded. “Well yes and no. She is a lone wolf, my little Antoinette. Ever since she was a child you know. She was an only child and after everything that happened with her parents...”

“Grandpa!” Toni cut him off abruptly. “Let’s not bore Cheryl with stories of the past, ok?” she shot the old man a warning glance. “And as far as my dating life goes, how about we don’t mention that either.”

Thomas chuckled to himself. “You are right, you’re dating life is nonexistent anyway, which is why I am surprised there is a lady sitting here…as I was saying.”

Cheryl laughed at the feistiness of the older man. She could see where Toni got her charm and her spark. “Stories of the past don’t bother me; I would love to know what Toni was like as a child.” Cheryl said sincerely. The redhead noticed Toni shift uncomfortably on the couch.

Thomas’ eyes sparkled. “Well Toni has always been a leader, but not in a bossy way. She has always fought for the underdog and for the good of the Southside. I was Serpent King you know, then Toni’s father…then the Jones’ took over for a few years until my little Antoinette took her rightful place. She was the little girl out there taking on the big boys. She never backed down from a challenge, but her heart has been pure gold since day one.”

Cheryl felt her heart swell. Even though she was less than pleased with Toni when they first met, she saw that heart of gold her grandfather spoke of. She just wasn’t fully ready to see it…until now.

Toni blushed heavily again and glanced sideways at Cheryl. “He is biased.” She huffed.

Cheryl brushed Toni’s hand gently, forgetting they had an audience. “He’s not too far off.” She said quietly enough for Toni to hear.

Thomas watched the pair with a smile. A coughing fit broke them out of their bubble.

Toni jumped out off the couch and rushed to her grandfather’s side. She stood by him for a few seconds waiting for his fit to subside, but it didn’t.

Cheryl watched in awe as Toni sprung into action. She didn’t hesitate or look fearful. She watched as the pink haired girl darted to the kitchen, returning with a small box and an oxygen mask. She removed the tubes from her grandfather's nose and placed the mask over his mouth and nose. He calmed instantly as the breathing treatment started. Toni joined Cheryl back on the couch once his breathing had regulated.

“Sorry about that.” Thomas mumbled, looking at Cheryl.

“Don’t be. I am glad you are okay.” She said quietly.

“I am glad you are here Cheryl. I get tired of those lugs coming around here. Sweet Pea takes up my whole damn trailer and Jughead talks my ear off. You are a breath of fresh air to a place like this.” The old man said, reaching out his frail hand to grip Cheryl’s.

She felt tears build in her eyes but blinked them back before they could fall.

The trio sat and talked well into the afternoon. Thomas told the girls stories of his times growing up in Sunnyside, his Serpent escapades, and the latest Southside gossip. By 2:00 he had grown tired, barely able to keep his eyes open.

“Grandpa, you need to rest. I have to work at 4 anyway and Cheryl has schoolwork to do. I don’t want you to overdo it.” Toni explained as she situated her grandfathers pillows behind his head.

“Oh I am fine.” He waved his hand at Toni’s concern. “But a nap would do this old man some good.”

Cheryl chuckled as she leaned down to give Thomas a kiss on the forehead. “It was a pleasure to meet you today Thomas. I hope that I can return soon.”

“I look forward to it.” Thomas said giving the girl a sincere smile.

“Bye grandpa.” Toni giggled as she gave him a kiss on the forehead as well.

“Antoinette, hang back a moment would you?” he asked softly.

She nodded. “I will be right behind you Cheryl.”

Cheryl gave her a small smile and headed out the door to wait outside.

****

Toni sat down on the couch near her grandfather once more as she eyed him with worry.

“Stop looking at me like I am going to break.” He huffed at his granddaughter.

“I’m sorry, I am just worried about you and I hate leaving you here during the week.” Toni admitted, looking down in shame.

“I am fine, Serpents take care of their own. I have been getting along just fine. You have important measures to attend too.” He said happily, patting her on the hand.

Toni felt her stomach heave with guilt. She hated lying to her grandfather about Cheryl and the real reason she was placed in New York.

“Stop pouting my lone wolf. I see it you know; my lone wolf won’t be alone for too much longer.” He chuckled.

Toni’s head snapped up in attention and she squinted her brown eyes at the older man. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

He laughed again. “It is funny when you try to deny what is right in front of you. That girl. She watched you all day. Eyes focused on you, and yours on her.”

Toni shook her head in disagreement. “She’s my friend grandpa, I just wanted to make sure she was comfortable.”

He sighed heavily. “Antoinette. It is okay. It is okay to feel something for her. You aren’t your mother nor your father. You are my wolf, my sweet granddaughter. A heart too pure for this world. I don’t want you to miss out on true happiness because of the mistakes and choices of others. It is no way to live. You have to know that.”

Toni felt tears burn her eyes. This was part of the reason she never got attached or brought people around. This aching in her heart, the pain she had endured. It is too much to bring to the surface. She bit her trembling bottom lip. “I don’t know.” She mumbled, her heart ache increasing when she saw the pain in her grandfather’s eyes. Pain for her.

“One day you will, I am hopeful she will help you see that…I feel it in my bones.” He said squeezing his granddaughter’s hand one last time as she got up to leave.

Toni sighed heavily as she closed the door to her grandfather’s trailer. She smiled despite herself when she saw the redhead sitting on the steps waiting for her. “Ready to go?” she asked, clearing the lump in her throat.

Cheryl nodded happily as she followed Toni hack to her trailer. She noticed right away that the pink haired girl’s energy was off.

Toni opened the door to her trailer and began immediately walking down the hallway to her room.

“Toni, wait.” Cheryl called after her.

Toni closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw. She was not in the mindset for this right now. She knew she was falling for Cheryl. There was no denying it anymore. Her grandfather bringing those feelings rushing up to the surface was a lot for her to take in. She turned to face the other girl.

“Thank you…for taking me today.” She said quietly.

Toni’s features softened and she gave her a small smile. “You’re welcome Bombshell.” She turned back around towards her room.

“Umm..Toni.” the red head called for her again.

Toni turned around once more in acknowledgment.

“If..if you ever need to come here during the week to check on your grandpa or stay with him some nights…I won’t like…report you or anything.” She chuckled lightly. “It’s a stupid rule anyway and I am not that petty.”

Toni arched an eyebrow at her playfully.

Cheryl put her hand on her hip. “I’m not.”

“I know.” Toni smiled at her. “And I appreciate that Cheryl..I really do. That means a lot to me. I worry about him ya know? She exhaled loudly.

“I know.” Cheryl said taking steps towards the shorter girl until she was a few inches away. She grabbed a tanned hand gently and Toni’s eyes never left hers.

Toni felt the energy in the room shift. Her heart was pounding in her ears, louder than it ever had before. Her brown eyes were fixated on Cheryl’s plump lips. God she wanted to kiss her. She needed to kiss her. She reached her thumb up towards the girls lower lip and rubbed it back and forth along the smooth surface. Toni heard Cheryl’s breath hitch at the action and watched her eyes flutter closed, relishing in the pink haired girls simple touch.

Toni darted her brown eyes back up to Cheryl’s and she saw the same emotion reflected back at her. Wanting. Longing. She wanted to kiss her too. Toni removed her thumb from Cheryl’s lip and leaned forward, inhaling sharply…when…

“Knock, knock!” Sweet Pea’s voice exclaimed as he slammed Toni’s door open. His eyes widened when he saw the girls in the hallway. “Shit….fuck sorry guys.” He blushed heavily.

Toni’s heart dropped and her small body filled with rage. “Are you fucking kidding me Sweets?”

He put his hands up in defense. “I said I was sorry. I forgot Red was here…I…yeah….”

Toni shook her head and looked back towards the flushed red head standing in the hallway. “Sorry.” She mouthed.

Cheryl gave her a small smile in return as she walked towards the Serpents.

“What are you even doing here?” Toni asked, anger still present in her tone.

“Your shift starts soon, I was going to see if you wanted to ride our bikes over there early..but uhhh..you seem busy.” He chuckled.

Toni punched her friend firmly in the shoulder. “My God your irritating.”

“Go ahead and go T.T., I have a lot I need to do.” Cheryl said.

Toni could tell she was lying but she didn’t fight it. Maybe the kiss being interrupted was for the best. Toni took it as a sign to take a step back, to slow down and sort out what she was feeling.

“Okay, I’ll see you around 12:30 if you are awake.” Toni said as she grabbed her helmet off the kitchen counter.

“Ok…” Cheryl’s voice trailed off.

Toni looked at the red head in confusion. “Sweet Pea, I will meet you outside.” She said firmly.

Sweet Pea waved bye to Cheryl and closed the door behind him.

“Sorry about him.” Toni apologized again.

“Don’t be. Everything is fine. But…there is something I wanted to talk to you about if you don’t mind conversing with me when you get home tonight.” Cheryl said quietly, biting on her lower lip.

“Of course, I look forward to it.” Toni said giving the red heads hand a firm squeeze as she headed out the door.

****

Cheryl waited patiently for Toni to return. Her mind was reeling from their interaction in the hallway. There was no way she was imagining that tension, that chemistry. It was getting harder and harder to resist Toni and harder to keep up the bad bitch act. It was exhausting. Time passed slowly, especially since Cheryl did not really have any school work to do. She used that as an excuse so Toni wouldn’t feel guilty for leaving her here alone. She could’ve went to the Wyrm with Toni but she needed time to think about everything that happened today.

She adored the way Toni cared for her grandfather. Seeing that kind of love between family members was a foreign concept to Cheryl. Aside from Jason, none of her other family had ever looked at her the way Toni looked at Thomas. Cheryl also now knew for a fact that something had happened with Toni’s parents. Something that the pink haired girl did not want to talk about yet. Cheryl already made the mental choice not to bring that up. Toni seemed adamant today about that not coming to the surface. Cheryl respected that. There were many things that she could not even breathe to the Serpent yet. Things that needed time. Things she could not bear to say aloud.

At exactly 12:30 the trailer door busted open and Toni sauntered in casually. “Hi Cheryl.”

She sounded exhausted Cheryl noted. “Hi Toni.” I missed you was on the tip of her tongue, but she held back.

“I missed you.” Toni said instead.

Cheryl’s heart could have exploded right there. She gave the girl a sincere smile.

Toni plopped down on the couch next to her, gazing at her intently. “You still game to talk? Don't think I forgot.” She winked at the redhead.

Cheryl inhaled shakily and nodded slowly. “Yes….just kind of nervous.”

Toni’s brown eyes softened. “Don’t be, I am here whenever you want to start.”

Cheryl clasped her hands together tightly. “Since you shared a part of your life with me today...I wanted to share something with you...the reason I got all quiet in Monday's session.”

Toni watched Cheryl with concern and scooted closer to her on the couch. “You don’t owe me anything Cheryl, but whatever you would like to share with me, I am here and all ears.”

“I know.” Cheryl began. “So...Monday...that list came up again.”

Toni nodded in understanding, eyes fixated on the red head.

“I was working on it and it brought up some thoughts of my ex, her name was Heather.” Cheryl started.

Toni inhaled slowly, leaning in to listen.

“I met her when I was a freshman in high school. I had become a cheerleader my first year, a natural of course. Cheryl said lightheartedly as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder.

Toni covered a smile with her hand.

“Anyways she went to a rival school and I saw her at our first game of the season. I was instantly hooked. She was gorgeous and had my teenage heart pounding out of my chest.” Cheryl smiled as she reminisced. “We met officially at a party after the game. We stayed outside on the porch and talked the whole night. It was so nice. I had butterflies the whole time.” Cheryl paused to gauge Toni’s reaction.

Her eyes were sincere and she was staring softly at Cheryl as she spoke.

Cheryl breathed slowly as she continued to calm her nerves. “After that night Heather and I were off and on until I was 22. I mean literally we would be off for months at a time and then back on again with full force. I wasn’t out officially to my friends until I was 18 so it was hard. She wanted me out and I wasn’t ready.” Cheryle explained. “My mom caught us kissing in my bed when I was 16, but that is another story…” her voice drifted slightly as she choked back tears. She was not ready to delve into all the hurt and chaos that was Penelope Blossom quite yet.

Toni leaned forward instantly, gripping Cheryl’s hand with her own. She gave it a small squeeze for comfort.

“Heather and I were so off and on, I found myself seeking constant validation from her. I didn’t get any validation or love at home so I thought I could get it with her. We did have good times, don't get me wrong. I thought she was it for me.” Cheryl explained. “Her most recent endeavor landed her in New York working for a popular magazine. She actually ran a column based off our relationship. It was called ‘H and C try…’ and we would try different New York activities each week.” Cheryl continued. “We did stuff like Escape Rooms, went to new restaurants, concerts, things like that. Heather would tell me what we were doing and I would do it and she would write about it. She would sugarcoat it and depict our relationship as perfect for the public”

Toni squeezed her hand again and Cheryl squeezed back in response.

“Something happened in my life. Something extremely personal and she basically exposed that in her column without asking me….I don’t really want to talk about what that was yet.” Cheryl said quickly.

“I understand.” Toni answered in approval.

“We got in a fight over that and the next week I saw ‘H and C try being single’. That is how I found out about the break up.” she shook her head in disgust. “The sad part is, even though she hurt me like that...I still wanted her. I craved her attention and what I thought was love.” Cheryl hung her head. “So doing this exercise really had me reflecting on my time with her. It is showing me that I never really felt truly cared for. I was just wanting approval, I was wanting someone to want me. And that’s a hard pill to swallow.”

Toni felt a single tear fall down her cheek. “You deserve someone to care for you Cheryl, you deserve everything. Thank you for telling me all that, I know it wasn't easy.”

Cheryl stifled a cry. “No. But thank you for saying so and thank you for letting me get that out. I think I am done for tonight though if I am being honest.” she giggled.

Toni nodded her head. “Whatever you want Bombshell.”

Cheryl closed her eyes and breathed in, calming herself.

“Hey.” Toni whispered softly.

Cheryl opened eyes in acknowledgement.

“Want me to sit out here until you fall asleep? Toni asked.

Cheryl felt a smile pull on her lips. “I want nothing more.”

Despite baring her soul to the girl who was still seemingly a stranger, Cheryl slept amazingly.


	13. Then Don't Stop...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Welcome back to the next chapter. Thank you to those that voted on my Twitter poll by the way. You may or may not be getting what you voted for..I felt like toying with emotions. BUT again, I have really enjoyed talking with more of you on Twitter, I am @tonicheryltopaz if you wanna talk. My DM's are always open. Fun facts about this chapter: Toni's ice cream order is my old Baskin Robbins order lol, and the name of the nightclub is from one I want to that had a cage inside lmao. Sorry for any typos or errors.

Cheryl felt light as a feather after opening up to Toni Saturday night. She knew there was plenty more to say and plenty more to tell her, but it was a start. It was big for her. The only other person that knew these things about her was Veronica. Josie knew a little as well, but Veronica was in the trenches with Cheryl during her most recent ups and downs. The way Toni looked at her though, with soft brown eyes so full of concern, it was easy to confide in her.

The rest of the weekend on the Southside was uneventful since Toni worked all day Sunday and Cheryl had been picked up long before she was off. She didn’t see the small, pink haired girl until their Monday evening session. Cheryl thought about her all day while she sat at her desk at work. She found herself glancing at her phone after few minutes, counting down the hours until she would see Toni. When Smithers pulled up for her after work she jumped into the car immediately and when they arrived to the building she was out just as fast. She opened the door and glanced around the waiting room. When her eyes fell on the pink haired girl, thumbing through a magazine lazily, her heart about leapt out of her chest. It hammered against her rib cage painfully and her brain became foggy. What was happening to her?

“Hey Cheryl.” Toni smiled as she looked up from the magazine to greet the redhead.

“Hi..hi Toni.” she stuttered.

“I missed you... is that weird?” she laughed cocking her head sideways. “I just saw you Sunday morning and I missed you.” she giggled again.

“I...mi..” Before Cheryl could respond, Gabby was at the door whisking them into session.

Cheryl bit back her words and followed Gabby into the room. The session wasn’t bad but Cheryl still couldn’t focus. She stayed pretty surface level the whole time, answering just enough to get by. Contributing when she felt she should, laughing if something funny was said, and mumbling “mmhmm” or “okay” when needed. Her and Toni didn’t tell Gabby about their almost kiss or about Cheryl opening up, but did they talk about meeting Toni’s grandfather. Cheryl appreciated how Toni already seemed to know if she should bring something up or not. It meant Toni knew how hard it was for Cheryl to confide in her. It meant Toni knew when not to press her. Cheryl did her best to not focus on watching Toni’s mouth move when she spoke. She tried not to scan her eyes up her jean clad legs. She tried not to look at her tanned hand nervously twitching when Gabby would put her on the spot. She just could not stop.

All she wanted to do was leave session and sit with Toni on the couch and eat a bowl of ice cream like they did last week. Or maybe she could invite her out for ice cream? Maybe she would like to try a place in New York? Would she think that was a date? Is it a date? No...they’re married, they can enjoy ice cream together. They’re friends, they’re roommates, they can go out together.

The rest of their time with Gabby flew by and Cheryl didn’t remember much from the hour. She watched Toni wave goodbye and walk towards her bike parked down the street.

“Umm Toni.” Cheryl called after her, her nerves immediately setting in. 

Toni spun around, a huge smile taking over her face. “What’s up Cheryl?”

“Do..ummm...want...uh…” Cheryl struggled to find words. Fuck. She never got tongue tied like this.

Toni giggled, arching an eyebrow at the redhead in amusement.

“Do you want me to invite Veronica out with us this weekend?” she asked. Cheryl kicked herself for chickening out. 

Toni pursed her lips in thought. “Sure, if you want too. Completely up to you Cheryl.” she smiled again.

That smile... “Ok...I’ll see you at home.” Cheryl waved goodbye and hopped into the car with Smithers.

*****

Toni made it back to Veronica’s in record time. Her head was swimming with thoughts of Cheryl the whole ride. She reprimanded herself for telling Cheryl she missed her. She swore Cheryl was going to say it back though, if Gabby wouldn’t have come in. She didn’t want to frighten the redhead or overstep any boundaries, but it was getting harder to try and resist the emotions she had for the her. It was new territory for Toni, but for some reason the redhead was bringing her walls down...fast.

She made her way into Veronica’s apartment still lost in thought.

“Hi stranger.” Veronica said, greeting the Serpent.

“Hey V.” Toni mumbled as she tossed her helmet on the couch.

“You have a sec?” the raven haired girl asked as she removed her black framed glasses that were sitting on the tip of her nose.

“Of course.” Toni responded, tossing herself onto the couch next to her helmet.

“So...good news and bad news I guess you could say.” Veronica started cautiously.

Toni groaned. “Bad news first please.”

Veronica straightened her shoulders and handed Toni a stack of papers. “Bad news is our Southside project is turning out to be a lot more invasive than we first thought. These are the first few safety and building inspections that have been conducted.” she watched Toni’s brown eyes scan over the papers.

“What does this mean for us?” the pink haired girl asked quietly.

“Well that’s where the good news comes in… I just need you on board.” Veronica bit her lip as she finished.

“Go on…” Toni probed.

“I want this project but I can’t break the bank to redo all these buildings. We need the money for things down the line. Some of them need demolished completely, which I know we anticipated….” her voice trailed off.

“Veronica, I don’t expect you to pay for all this. I am willing to hear your suggestion.” Toni said genuinely. “And don’t forget I have money coming too.”

Veronica held up her hand in protest. “Every good project needs investors. Investors we can trust and that are passionate about the cause. I am thinking we could host a charity gala. We could host it on the Southside. I will hand pick the investors we invite, so I know they are legit and you can invite the Serpents who wish to come. It will be good for investors to see the community and the people they are investing in.”

Toni bit her lip nervously. “I...I am all for it...but do you think seeing the Serpents is such a good idea? It may make things worse.”

Veronica shook her head in disagreement. “No...we need to be transparent. The Serpents are turning over a new leaf, they are under new leadership.” she elbowed Toni lightly in the ribs.

“Okay...how long do these things take to put together?” Toni asked.

“Give me a month to contact potential investors. Until then we can work on the buildings that don’t need to be completely demolished and I will leave it to you to find a place to host us.” she winked at Toni.

Cheryl coming into the apartment took Toni’s attention away from the conversation with Veronica. She saw Cheryl’s brown eyes dart between the pair on the couch. Toni could have sworn she saw a hint of jealousy in those orbs.

“Just in time for ice cream.” Toni smiled at the redhead in the doorway. “I waited for you.”

Cheryl’s eyes softened as she made her way towards the shorter girl. “Actually...I was thinking...if you want...maybe we could go get some ice cream.. I know a cute little place down the street…” her voice shook.

Toni’s mouth opened slightly in shock but then she quickly was grinning back at the redhead. “That sounds great! I’m ready when you are.”

Cheryl nodded in response. “I’ll change and we can go.”

*****

Cheryl made her way into her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She took deep breaths in and out to slow down her heart rate. She did it. She asked Toni out for ice cream. Seeing her sitting next to Veronica on the couch made it easy. She knew her friend had no interest in the pink haired girl but she couldn’t help it. She felt a slight possession over Toni.

Cheryl heard a soft knock on the door and she groaned in frustration, already knowing who it was.

“Come in Veronica.” she called out as she pulled on some black leggings.

Veronica opened the door, a mischievous grin on her face. “Hello...lover girl.”

Cheryl groaned again. “Cut it out Veronica.” She hastily pulled on a pair of tennis shoes.

“An ice cream date.” Veronica wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

“I just thought she would like a change of scenery, stop reading into everything.” Cheryl huffed as she moved passed Veronica to exit the room.

“Whatever you say Bombshell.” Veronica giggled as Cheryl went to get Toni.

“You ready?” Cheryl asked the pink haired girl.

“Of course.” Toni responded, getting up from the couch to follow her.

The girls bid Veronica farewell and made their way out onto the busy streets.

“Which way m'lady?” Toni asked smirking at the redhead.

Cheryl smiled in response. “Follow me.” she began leading them down the street. “It’s only about a five minute walk."

Toni happily followed the girl, filling her in on what her and Veronica had been discussing.

“A gala? Sounds right up Veronica’s alley.” Cheryl mused.

“Yeah…” Toni trailed off.

“What’s wrong?” Cheryl asked.

“I don’t know. It’s not really my thing ya know? I don’t wanna mess it up. It is going to be really important for us.” Toni explained, biting her lip nervously.

“Wellllll.” Cheryl said, her voice going up in pitch. “Charity events, galas, any type of shin dig really… they all happen to be my specialty ...so I can accompany you if you want?”

Toni stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “I’d really appreciate that Cheryl, thank you.” Toni said sincerely.

“What are wives for.” Cheryl smirked.

Toni laughed and nudged the redhead with her shoulder.

Cheryl smiled to herself at the interaction. The pair continued walking in silence, shoes sounding in unison on the sidewalk as they walked. She felt a warm hand graze hers tentatively at first. Testing the waters. A slight brush of the fingers. Cheryl didn’t shy away, she kept her hand firmly at her side. Warm, tan fingers intertwined with hers. The grip was loose, like she was waiting for Cheryl to tighten it. So she did. Pale fingers grasped the tanned ones firmly. Cheryl bit back a smile when she felt a squeeze of affirmation from Toni.

They walked side by side, hand in hand, until they reached the ice cream parlor. Toni did not release her hand, even when they stepped inside.

Cheryl watched Toni’s reaction to the shop. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw all the flavor options. The large menu took up the whole wall behind the counter, written in different colors of chalk. The shop was sleek, with white subway tiles lining the walls. Murals of ice cream cones were painted over spots of the tile in a graffiti style.

“This is really cool Cheryl.” Toni said, giving her hand another squeeze. “There’s so many choices, I don’t know what to get.”

Cheryl pulled her a bit closer so that their shoulders were touching, hands still tightly clasped. “I would get the…..”

“Cheryl girl, is that you?” An excited voice called out.

Cheryl jumped in surprise, releasing Toni’s hand immediately and distancing herself from the shorter girl. She turned around to see her friend Josie smiling back at her.

Cheryl cleared her throat and plastered a smile on her lips. “Josie...hello.”

Josie grinned at the duo, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them, eyes squinting in suspicion.

“Hi Josie.” Toni said happily. “Want to join us?”

Cheryl closed her eyes in annoyance. Curse Toni and her hospitality. 

“I don’t want to intrude.” Josie responded sweetly.

Cheryl was about to open her mouth and tell her that they were going to take their ice cream to go, but. . .

“No intrusion at all, what do you recommend?” Toni asked happily.

Cheryl rolled her eyes subtly to herself and stepped up to the counter. “One cherry cone please...Toni?” she looked back at the shorter girl.

“Ummmm... I will do a scoop of french vanilla, a scoop of dark chocolate, and a scoop of cookie dough on a sugar cone please.” she answered happily.

Cheryl shook her head with amusement at the Serpents order.

Josie ordered as well and the girls headed to a booth in the corner. Cheryl scooted in closest to the wall, followed by Toni. Josie sat across from the pair.

Josie began chatting animatedly about her music and Cheryl did her best to smile, nod, and pay attention but she couldn’t help but be annoyed. She wanted this to just be her and Toni. She wanted to talk to her again. She wanted to find out more about her too. The waiter brought the girls their ice cream. Toni’s eyes widened when she saw the cone.

“This is going to be amazing.” she claimed.

Cheryl giggled and watched her stare at the cone in awe.

“So…” Toni said mid lick. “How are things with Sweet Pea?”

Josie sighed happily as she dug her spoon into the cup of ice cream. “We have been talking non stop. I haven’t seen him sense Vegas. I have been so busy recording. So I am thankful Cheryl invited me to the Southside this weekend. It gave me a chance to take a break, see him again, and of course hang out with my friend.” she shot Cheryl a smile.

Cheryl nodded back and responded with the best smile she could. She continued eating her cherry ice cream while Josie and Toni idly chatted about the upcoming weekend. Cheryl pouted silently as she listened to the pair drone on. As if Toni could sense her demeanor, Cheryl felt a small hand graze over her thigh and grip it lightly. Toni twisted her hand under the table so it was palm side up, inviting Cheryl to hold it again.

Cheryl smiled in content and slide her pale hand back into Toni’s. The discreet gesture brought her so much comfort. 

After the girls were done eating, Josie bid them goodbye which left Cheryl and Toni alone in the booth.

Cheryl could feel Toni’s eyes boring into the side of her head as she gave her hand a little squeeze.

“Hmmmm...my little queen of subtlety.” Toni chuckled as she withdrew her hand and clasped her two together on top of the table.

Cheryl rolled her eyes at the Serpent. “What are you going on about TT?”

“You...got annoyed when Josie showed up.” Toni’s lips curled upward.

Cheryl felt her cheeks heat up like they always seemed to do around the smaller girl. “I...that is not true.” she knew she wasn’t being convincing.

“It’s okay... when you asked me tonight I kinda thought it was like a date ya know? Or at least in my head it was.” Toni admitted, shrugging slightly.

Cheryl felt her body relax. “I did too.” she whispered.

“Does this have anything to do with why you were so robotic and spacey in session today?” Toni laughed, poking the redhead in her side.

Cheryl hunched over, avoiding the tickling from the pink haired girl. “Was it that obvious?” 

Toni nodded. “To me. I doubt Gabby realized. I spend every day with you, I know when you’re in your head by now.” She added, giving Cheryl a little bop on the forehead with her index finger.

“Yeah, I was nervous about asking you to come...but I’m glad you agreed.” Cheryl said, her voice still quiet.

“Of course, how could I resist ice cream?” Toni said holding her hands up.

Cheryl crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at Toni.

“And how could I resist you of course.” she reached for the redheads hand again. “Let’s go home Bombshell, we have a full week ahead of us.”

*****

Friday was finally upon them and Toni had a heavy pit in her stomach. She didn’t know why she was so nervous about this weekend with Cheryl, but she was. For starters, it was one month since that fateful night in Vegas. Second, after their almost kiss the weekend before, the copious amounts of hand holding, and their interrupted date on Monday, Toni’s mind was swimming, wondering where her and Cheryl stood. It was clear things were developing past a “forced relationship.”

The plan for the weekend was for Toni to work all night tonight. Cheryl and Josie were going to sleep in her trailer and Fangs would sleep at Kevins. Veronica had declined the invitation, opting to have Archie come up to New York for the weekend. Toni would work Saturday during the day so she could have the night off. The group was going to a club between the Southside and Greendale. They planned to spend their whole night there. Sunday would be a recovery day based on how their Saturday went.

Toni had just run to the grocery store to make sure she had enough food for Cheryl and Josie for the weekend and was putting the items away when she heard the familiar wiggle of her door handle. She turned towards the door and saw a flash of red hair come crashing in. Josie was close behind her.

Toni made her way into the living room to greet the duo. She grabbed Josie’s bag from her before she could set it down. “I’ll put your stuff in my room. You and Cheryl can share my bed, I’ll take the couch.” she explained.

“Thanks! Toni, I don’t mind the couch though if you and Cheryl usually share…"

“We don’t!” Cheryl and Toni quickly shouted at the same time, faces flushing red.

“I...I mean..Cheryl usually sleeps on the couch, but I want you to be comfortable.” Toni backtracked as she carried the bag down the hallway.

Toni placed the bag on her bed and went to go grab her Serpent jacket so she could head to work.

“Okay you two. I am headed out. Cheryl knows how to work the TV and where everything is. I’ll see you guys later, although I am not sure when I will be off.” Toni said as she walked towards the front door.

“We may see you there.” Josie called after her.

Toni turned around to face the pair and saw Cheryl smirking to herself.

“You two are coming to the Wyrm?” Toni asked cautiously.

Josie nodded eagerly. “Sweet Pea said we could come with him if we want.”

Toni nodded slowly. “Yeah I would feel better if you guys had him to accompany you.” 

“See you later.” Cheryl said.

Toni swore her voice dropped an octave. She gave them a little salute and closed the door behind her.

*****

“This place is cute.” Josie said as she sat down on the couch next to Cheryl. “It’s nice to finally see where one of best friends has been staying for the past month.”

“Only on the weekends.” Cheryl reminded her.

“I never thought I would see the day that Cheryl Blossom would be staying on the Southside.” Josie chuckled to herself.

“Not by choice, remember!?” she argued.

“Maybe not...but you don’t seem to be minding it too much.” Josie bit back a smile.

“What do you mean by that?” Cheryl asked, unamused.

Josie’s grin grew larger. “Oh I don’t know. Shooting me daggers at the ice cream parlor. Holding hands under the table. Talking my ear off about how cute her grandpa is the whole ride down here...should I go on?” Josie pressed.

Cheryl rolled her eyes dramatically. “Okay...so Toni isn’t as bad as I first thought.”

Josie cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. I like her. Are you happy?” Cheryl asked, throwing her hands in the air.

“I am happy. I just want you to be happy Cheryl, after what you have endured, you deserve that much.” Josie said putting her arm around Cheryl’s shoulders.

Cheryl felt her bottom lip quiver. She blinked back her tears and gave Josie a weak smile. “Thanks Josie..”

“You’re welcome, so do you want to come to the Wyrm tonight?” she asked.

“I was going too but I think I am going to save my energy for tomorrow night. But tell Toni I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.” Cheryl responded.

Josie gave her one last smile and went to go get changed.

*****

Toni opened the door to her trailer at about 3 AM with a tipsy Josie trailing behind her. She was disappointed that she had not seen the redhead at the bar, but she did enjoy seeing how happy Sweet Pea had been. He chatted and laughed with Josie the whole night. She even got him to do some karaoke with him, which is a life accomplishment. 

Josie stumbled down the hall to Toni’s bedroom and shut the door behind her. Toni plopped on the couch with a groan. It had been a long night and a lot busier than she had anticipated. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, thoughts of a certain redhead invading her mind.

Toni awoke to the murmur of voices and the wonderful smell of bacon. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced at that dusty clock on her wall. 10 AM. She stretched her stiff muscles and groaned when she realized how heavy her eyes still were. She could see into the kitchen and saw Cheryl’s back to her hunched over the stove. “Good morning.” Toni called from her spot on the couch.

Cheryl spun around to face the pink haired girl. “TT! I’m sorry did we wake you up? I told Josie to keep it down.” she shot Josie a glare and received a giggle in response.

“You’re fine, it’s getting late anyway.” Toni said getting up to investigate the kitchen.

Her brown eyes widened when she saw the breakfast spread. There was a pile of turkey bacon, a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, a whole pot of coffee, and a giant pile of chocolate chip pancakes. Toni’s favorite.

“Did you make all this Cheryl?” Toni asked, surprise in her tone.

Cheryl bit her lip sheepishly and gripped the spatula in her hand. “Yeah..I mean I feel like you are always cooking breakfast for me. I thought I would return the favor.”

Toni’s smile grew and her chest tightened with affection. Before she could stop herself her feet carried her over to Cheryl. She planted a kiss firmly on her cheek. She felt the skin heat up immediately against her lips. “Thank you Cheryl.” she murmured in her ear.

Josie cleared her throat bringing them back to reality. “Excuse me ladies, I am going to go shower and go through some outfit options for tonight.”

“Okay…” Cheryl whispered quietly, never taking her eyes off Toni’s.

Toni’s cheeks widened at the sight of Cheryl’s chocolate eyes staring back at her. “For real Cheryl, this is amazing. Putting my breakfast to shame.” Toni giggled.

“Nonsense TT. Your breakfasts’ are amazing, 5 stars even,” Cheryl argued back as she placed the skillet she had been using in the sink. “Now sit down and eat, you are going to need a full stomach for tonight. I have seen you drink.”

Toni nodded in amusement and began cutting into her pancakes. “Hey…” her voice trailed off.

“Yes?” Cheryl responded as she sat down next to the pink haired girl with a full plate of her own.

“Happy one month.” Toni smiled, showing her teeth.

“Happy one month Toni.” Cheryl replied shaking her head.

*****

“Can everyone at least take their shoes off please?” Cheryl shouted over the boisterous voices of the Serpents and her friends. 

Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Kevin had all come over to Toni’s trailer to pregame for the club and Cheryl was trying to keep it tidy to no avail.

“Don’t worry about it Cheryl, I will clean up tomorrow.” Toni reassured the redhead.

She was running around the trailer like a tornado. Picking up crumbs, cleaning up spills, she felt like she was with a bunch of toddlers. 

“Go get ready, I promise I will handle all this.” Toni said, giving Cheryl a nudge.

Cheryl nodded in agreement and handed back towards Toni’s room to change. 

“Wait Red!” a deep voice called after her.

Cheryl turned and saw a shot glass being shoved in her face. 

“You have to catch up.” Sweet Pea placed a shot glass in her manicured hand.

She shrugged and tossed the glass back and let the liquid pour down her throat. She rolled her eyes. Cheap vodka. 

She closed the door and began rummaging through her bag. She had opted for a different look tonight. More Southside. More casual. She pulled on a tight pair of black jeans, so tight she had to wiggle the rest of the way in. She pulled a red crop top over her head which exposed her toned stomach perfectly. She had to keep a touch of her own style so she slid on her favorite pair of red bottomed heels. She walked to the full length mirror and admired her reflection. She was pulling off the look just as she hoped she would.

She ran her fingers through her red hair, admiring the volume she had achieved. She dug around in her bag again to find her makeup. She opted for her signature red lip. She painted it on and popped her lips together when she was satisfied. 

She gave herself one last look in the mirror and headed back out into the chaos.

“There you are Red, the Uber is almost here.” Sweet Pea said, taking a swig of beer.

Cheryl rolled her eyes at him and went to mix herself a small drink while they waited. Her heels clicked into the kitchen and she spotted Toni, her back to her, mixing a drink of her own.

Cheryl smiled to herself, ready to see Toni’s reaction to her outfit. She gently tapped the pink haired girl on the shoulder with a red nail.

Toni spun around slowly to face her. Her jaw dropped to the floor like a cartoon character. Cheryl had not seen this type of response from her since the night one month ago when she had zipped her dress up in the hotel bathroom. She had admired her sure, but this was veneration “Cheryl….excuse my language but holy fucking shit.”

Cheryl bit her lip as she watched Toni’s eyes scan her body. She didn’t miss the way they lingered on her backside, her pale stomach, and her breasts a hair longer. She could feel Toni’s eyes scan every inch of her body. The intensity of her gaze made her shiver slightly. 

“Cheryl...damn…I’m sorry I am not quite sure what to say.” Toni chuckled.

“Toni Topaz speechless, that’s rare.” Fangs laughed obnoxiously from the kitchen table as he watched the girls.

“I have been finding it a common occurrence as of late.” Toni admitted, glancing sideways at Cheryl.

“Well Antoinette...your outfit looks quite good as well.” Cheryl said, also admiring Toni’s ass in her tight jeans. “I think those jeans were made for you...and you know how I feel about that jacket.” she muttered lowly.

Toni blushed red and took a large swig of her drink.

“Uber’s here guys!” Sweet Pea called from the family room.

The group quickly scurried outside and piled into the SUV.

“Attitudes?” the driver asked.

“Yes sir, the only club in the area.” Fangs laughed as he grasped Kevin’s hand.

Toni, Cheryl, and Josie were all smushed in the back seat. They had thrown Sweet Pea in front since he was the largest. Kevin and Fangs had the captain seats.

Cheryl was enjoying the proximity to Toni. She could smell her perfume and it was already making her head dizzy. The bare skin of her arm was pressed against the leather of Toni’s jacket.

“You okay Cheryl?” Toni asked in her ear quietly. “I know we are kinda like sardines back here.” she giggled.

Cheryl could smell a hint of alcohol on her breath. Her ears rang with delight when she heard that giggle spill from Toni’s lips. God, since when was it so cute? “I’m okay Toni, thank you.” she responded shakily trying to compose herself.

Thankfully the ride was not too long because Cheryl was about to go insane pressed this close to Toni. Every shift of the car, every bump in the road brought her closer and closer to the pink haired girl.

“WE ARE HERE.” Fangs yelled as he hopped out of the car.

“He loves this place.” Toni explained as she shook her head and helped Cheryl out of the car.

The group walked into the club and headed towards the bar. The music was loud, and the bass thumped in Cheryl’s ears and chest. The lights were low, with different colored lights swirling around the dance floor. A DJ was set up in front, waving his arms in the air and encouraging the crowd. Fangs grabbed Kevin’s hand and dragged him immediately to the dance floor.

“I need a drink before I can get out there.” Sweet Pea admitted as he ordered a drink for Josie and himself.

“Shot of whiskey Bombshell?” Toni asked directly into Cheryl’s ear.

Cheryl nodded wordlessly and watched as Toni leaned over the bar to order the shots. 

Toni placed the shot glass in Cheryl’s hand and clinked her own against it. “Cheers to a goodnight Bombshell.” Toni winked at her as she downed the liquid.

Cheryl nodded in response and threw her glass back as well, taking the shot like a champ.

Cheryl, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Josie took a few more shots together before Josie and Sweet Pea broke off to go to the dance floor.

“You want to dance too Cheryl?” Toni asked cautiously, looking down at her boots.

Cheryl lifted Toni’s chin with her index finger so she could look into her brown eyes. “I would love too.”

Toni grinned and gripped Cheryl’s hand in her own and dragged her towards the dance floor.

Cheryl giggled as Toni maneuvered them to the middle of the dance floor, claiming their own spot. They began casually moving to the music a few feet apart from each other, large smiles on both their faces. Cheryl watched as Toni mouthed the lyrics and moved her hips perfectly to the beat. Toni’s eyes met Cheryl’s as she continued moving her hips to the music. Cheryl’s hands itched to touch them. She wanted to feel them move under her palms, to feel her body pressed against hers.

As if Toni was reading her mind, she took a couple steps forward and leaned her neck upwards slightly to Cheryl’s ear. “You can touch me...if you want” she breathed.

Cheryl’s eyes closed slowly at the statement. She thought she was imagining it. “W...what?” she stuttered back.

Toni chuckled against her ear, the melodic laugh causing Cheryl’s heart to race. “I said...you can touch me. Ya know..if you want to dance together.”

Cheryl nodded slowly and placed her hands lightly on Toni’s hips, barely touching them. 

Toni shook her head with a giggle and put her hands over Cheryl’s, indicating for her to hold tighter. She smirked when she felt the redheads grip tighten. “Can I...touch you?” Toni breathed.

Cheryl nodded, any ability to form words gone at this point.

Toni bit her lip with excitement as she hovered her hands over the exposed skin of Cheryl’s stomach and hips. 

Cheryl shivered when warm skin met warm skin. She let herself be pulled closer to Toni’s body as they began moving to the music together. She began losing herself in the beat, her hands gripping tighter to Toni’s hips. She felt Toni’s hands moving slowly up and down her sides, causing goosebumps to arise on her exposed skin. She closed her eyes relishing in the sensations of Toni’s hands on her body. With the fast paced movements and the bodies surrounding them both girls began working up a sweat. Cheryl leaned her head down, her forehead connecting with Toni’s as she breathed in to catch her breath. She felt Toni’s warm breath on her face. Inhaling, Exhaling. It was intoxicating. She felt a warm hand slide up from her hip to cup her cheek. 

Like last week in the hallway, Toni began running her thumb back and forth along Cheryl’s red bottom lip. Cheryl inhaled sharply and closed her eyes to relish in Toni’s touch.

The strokes of Toni’s thumb stopped and Cheryl opened her eyes to find dark eyes staring back at her. Cheryl squeezed Toni’s hips and watched her eyes darken further.

Cheryl brought her lips down to brush against Toni’s cheek, daringly close to the corner of her mouth.

“Cheryl..” Toni warned in a voice so quiet, she wasn’t sure if she even heard her.

“What?” She breathed back in Toni’s ear, grinning against her cheek when she felt her shudder.

“If...if I kiss you...I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.” Toni whispered.

“Then don’t stop..” Cheryl dared as she pulled back so their lips were centimeters apart.

Toni inhaled sharply as she leaned even closer to Cheryl’s plump lips.

Cheryl closed her eyes waiting for them touch. It was a brush at first, a test of boundaries. That was all it took for Cheryl to grab onto the back of Toni’s neck tugging her forward to bring their lips together. Toni moaned into the redheads mouth as their lips moved against each other. The delectable push and pull of their kissing caused Cheryl’s body to heat up. She moved her hands down to Toni’s backside and squeezed slightly. 

Toni moaned and dropped her lips to Cheryl’s pale neck, kissing and sucking on it harshly.

Cheryl bit her own bottom lip in between her teeth and dug her nails into the denim of Toni’s jeans. She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of Toni’s warm lips on her neck. She grunted in pleasure when she felt Toni start to suck on her pulse point. “Toni…” she murmured quietly.

Toni broke away from her neck with a pop to look into her eyes. 

Cheryl brought their lips together once more, sucking on Toni’s bottom lip and sinking her teeth into it. “Let’s get out of here.” she panted as she broke away from the kiss once more.

Toni peered at her with hooded eyes and nodded her head eagerly as she gripped her pale hand and pulled her towards the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to LezBeHonestBlossom (lez_blossom) for giving me feedback on some ideas I had for this chapter anddd giving the suggestion of Cheryl making Toni breakfast. Our pink haired girl deserves some pampering too. Have a good week everyone.


	14. Hole in the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back folks. Here is another chapter of Vegas. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for any errors, typos, spelling etc. I tried to edit but my brain has been kinda scattered. Thank you also to my friend LezBeHonestBlossom (@lez_blossom) on twitter for reading with me and helping me brainstorm/getting my thoughts straight. I appreciate it immensely. Don't forget, talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz. I like to chat.

Toni and Cheryl stumbled out of the club, hand and hand into the cool night air.

“I’ll get an Uber.” Cheryl said hastily as she got her phone out, immediately clicking away on the screen.

Toni stood in front of her, hands on the taller girls hips as she watched her, lip bit in concentration as she stared at her phone.

“There.” Cheryl announced, clicking her phone off and fixating her eyes back on the pink haired girl.

“Come here.” Toni murmured as she wrapped her arms around Cheryl’s neck, bringing her back up against her body. She connected their lips again, enjoying the slight gasp Cheryl made at the contact. “How long until the car is here?” Toni asked lowly.

“Ten minutes.” Cheryl breathed.

“Perfect.” Toni said as she grabbed Cheryl’s hand and dragged her to the side of the club. She grinned when she saw how dark the redhead's eyes were. Toni held Cheryl’s face between both her hands and brought her eyes down to her lips. “Your lips are addicting, you know that right?” Toni growled as she bit Cheryl’s bottom lip gently, eliciting a slight moan.

“Just kiss me.” Cheryl pleaded as she grabbed onto Toni’s Serpent jacket and pulled their lips back together.

Toni slid her tongue in Cheryl’s willing mouth eagerly and kissed her deeply. Toni’s body was buzzing, lighting up in the best possible way. It was a thrill. Getting a buzz on, dancing with a hot girl, kissing the girl, and taking the girl home until morning. It was an all too familiar pattern to Toni and she loved it. She thrived on it.  _ But. _ Cheryl wasn’t just a one-night stand. She was more than that. She would still be there in the morning, and the morning after that. She deserved more than that. Toni grunted in frustration at the realization and pulled away from Cheryl’s lips.

The redhead's eyes fluttered open quickly, confused at the loss of contact. “What’s wrong?”

Toni ran a hand through her pink hair. “Cheryl, don’t get mad but…I…I don’t want to do this.”

Cheryl’s face flushed red as she opened her mouth to annihilate the shorter girl.

Toni held up a hand to stop her. “What I mean is. I..we did this drunk last time…if we do this again..I want to remember everything.” She breathed into the redheads ear, a smirk on her lips.

Cheryl locked eyes with the pink haired girl, tears slowly forming. “I…are you sure?”

Toni grasped a pale hand lightly and looked into soft brown eyes. “I am sure that I would take you against this brick wall right now.” Toni admitted as Cheryl’s jaw dropped open. “But..you deserve better than that. You deserve better than the back alley next to a club.”

Cheryl blinked in surprise at the shorter girls words. “I…Toni…I appreciate that. But….can we still kiss a little bit?” she blushed shyly.

Toni let out an amused laugh. “I can’t say no to that.” She gave Cheryl’s plump lips a light peck. “Do you think Josie will mind if I kick her to the curb tonight and sleep in my bed with you?” Toni mumbled against Cheryl’s lips.

Cheryl pulled back and let out a laugh. “I don’t think we will be seeing much of Josie tonight.”

*****

Cheryl blinked open her eyes slowly. It took her a moment to realize where she was but as she took in the photo covered walls of the room, she knew right away. She smiled contentedly to herself, happy that she was here. She felt thin arms wrapped around her from behind. She adjusted herself so she was nose to nose with the snoozing girl behind her. Cheryl took this moment to admire the delicate features of Toni’s face. Soft skin, beautifully tanned, the small birthmark above the corner of her mouth, and full eyelashes. She leaned forward slightly, planting a light kiss to Toni’s lips. She couldn't help herself. Something had shifted last night between the two of them. Lines were becoming blurred.

Cheryl was glad Toni had stopped their moment of passion at the club. She didn't want to complicate things but...clearly something was there. Toni cared enough about Cheryl to stop it and not because she didn't want it. She stopped because she  _ did _ want it. Cheryl continued observing the pink haired girl. Light breaths exhaling from her nose as she slept. Cheryl leaned forward again, giving her a firmer kiss on the lips. Toni stirred slightly and tightened her arms around the redhead. Cheryl smirked and continued her attack of kisses on Toni’s face. Planting her full lips all over her cheeks, her forehead, and her chin until the pink haired girl opened her eyes.

Toni’s lips immediately curled into a smile. “Mmmm..good morning to you.” her voice cracked.

Cheryl smiled and snuggled into Toni’s neck. “Good morning.”

“I think I like this wake up call.” Toni admitted as she lifted Cheryl’s face from her neck. “Although I haven’t checked the clock yet.” she chuckled, eyes darting to the alarm clock on her nightstand. 

Cheryl smirked at Toni’s squinted, sleepy eyes. She looked so cute. “It is 7:30.”

Toni groaned loudly, closing her eyes again. “At least it’s not 4 AM.”

Cheryl nudged the shorter girl with her shoulder. “Get up, I want to make breakfast together.”

Toni stretched her arms over her head and yawned dramatically. “Okay, okay.”

Cheryl watched as Toni hopped out of bed. She had changed into a black sports bra and shorts when they got home from the club last night. Even though they had decided to not sleep together, that didn’t stop the pair from kissing each other senseless for hours. Cheryl bit her lip as her eyes scanned up and down Toni’s body, stopping to admire her toned stomach. Her brown eyes moved up and she smirked when she saw her full breasts and a small collection of hickeys forming on her neck. Her hand went up to her own neck, touching it lightly, knowing she had her own collection as well.

“I feel you staring.” Toni mumbled sleepily as stretched one more time.

“I can’t help it.” Cheryl admitted as she hopped out of bed as well. She was in her bra and panties, a matching red lace set of course.

Toni eyes darkened slightly when she saw Cheryl rummaging around the room for something to put on. She walked towards her slowly and put her hands on her hips delicately.

Cheryl’s breath hitched at the action and she her eyes moved up to see Toni looking at her like a full course meal.

“You better put clothes on….now…that’s all I’m gonna say.” Toni murmured.

Cheryl felt her lips curl up into a flirty smirk. “And if I don’t?” she challenged.

“If you don’t…” Toni began as she lowered her lips to Cheryl’s neck kissing it lightly. “Then you better plan on staying in here until I have to go to work.” She brought her lips up to the redheads ear, grazing her teeth on it lightly.

Cheryl felt her body heat up instantaneously. “Is that a promise?”

Toni pulled back with a giant grin on her face. She leaned in painfully slow and brushed her lips over Cheryl’s.

Cheryl responded enthusiastically and pressed their lips together in a bruising kiss. It didn’t take long for their lips to develop a rhythm that quickened as the seconds went by. Cheryl let a moan slip when Toni bit her bottom lip.

It was like a switch flipped when Toni heard it and she pushed Cheryl down onto the bed, so she was flat on her back. Toni crawled on top of her, wasting no time connecting her lips to the soft skin of Cheryl’s neck. Cheryl hummed in appreciation as she started running her hands up and down Toni’s back.

Toni smirked into her neck and ran her hand slowly up Cheryl’s stomach to her breast, but before she reached her destination.

_ Knock, knock. _

Toni growled in frustration as she sat up so that she was straddling Cheryl.

“You better go see who it is.” Cheryl said sadly.

Toni hopped of Cheryl and stomped towards the front door. “I swear to god if this is…” she swung the door open to reveal her tall, dark haired friend with Josie standing next to him. “Sweet Pea!” she gritted her teeth. “You have THE worst timing, you know that?”

His face flushed red when he noticed Toni’s disheveled appearance and the bruises on her neck.

“Uhh…we…” he stuttered.

“We were just coming by to see if you two wanted to go to breakfast.” Josie chimed in, rolling her eyes at the tall Serpent.

Toni opened her mouth to answer them with a firm ‘no’ but before she could.

“We would love too.” A voice said from the hallway.

Cheryl stepped into the main room, one of Toni’s robes wrapped around her body. She shot Toni an apologetic look.

Toni frowned slightly. “Yes, we would love too…”

“Great.” Josie said happily. “We will pick you up for Pops in 30 minutes?”

Cheryl nodded as Toni closed the door.  _ Pops _ . She hadn’t been there since high school. She felt her stomach flip with nerves. She remembers going there after school with Jason to sneak a milkshake before dinner. She remembers nights spent there with her cheerleading squad, the Vixens, gossiping until they had to go home for the night. The memories were still so clear. She hated when he mind drifted to Jason. She shook her head to snap herself out of it.

“Everything good Cheryl?” Toni asked, gripping her arm softly.

“Yeah… let’s get ready.” Cheryl gave her a small smile as she retreated to the bathroom.

30 minutes later Toni found herself squished in a booth between Cheryl and Fangs, a large stack of pancakes in front of her. As soon as they had stepped into the diner, Toni saw Cheryl’s mood completely shift. She was tense, her body angled towards the window. She mumbled replies now and then to the group, but overall Toni could tell she was someplace else.

The pink haired girl leaned over slightly so she was close to Cheryl’s ear. “Everything okay?” she asked softly. She felt under the table to grasp her hand as well. A gesture that was beginning to bring both girls a sense of comfort.

Cheryl turned her head towards Toni as she answered. “I’m fine TT, just tired.”

Toni nodded unsurely as she give the red heads hand a small squeeze.

“You two disappeared early last night.” Kevin mused.

Toni took a large sip of her strawberry milkshake and shook her head. “Mind your own Keller.” She mumbled, the straw still between her teeth.

Fangs snorted with laughter. “Toni Topaz….my girl is finally getting over her commitment issues.”

Toni slammed her fist onto the table. She felt her heart drop when she saw everyone jump with fear in their eyes, including Cheryl. She cursed herself for her outburst, but she couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead were the only one who knew of Toni’s background, besides her grandfather. She felt exposed and it didn’t feel good. “Excuse me.” She said through gritted teeth as she motioned for Fangs and Kevin to scoot out of the booth.

“T..I’m sorry.” Fangs hung his head. “I was just messing, it was stupid. And I’m lowkey still drunk a little bit.” He admitted.

“I don’t give a fuck, just get out of my way.” Toni said. “You of all people…” she mumbled. She hated thinking about this. She needed to get out this diner to get some air. She crashed through the door, the bell ringing loudly as she stormed out. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at the sky, breathing in deeply to calm herself.

Toni hated feeling weak. She hated when these emotions came to the surface. She hated how she reacted. She sat down on the curb and moved a rock around with her boot. She heard heels click towards her on the sidewalk. She closed her eyes tightly, expecting a tongue lashing from the redhead. She probably scared her off. After making such progress, Toni knew she had ruined it in a matter of seconds.

“Hi Toni.” Cheryl said softly as she sat down next to the pink haired girl.

Toni glanced sideways at her. “Hi.” She replied softly.

“Toni…are you okay?” Cheryl asked.

The pink haired girl hung her head. “Yeah..I’m sorry about that. I probably put us back about 5 steps, didn’t I ?”

Cheryl grasped her hand. “Not at all. If anything it made me feel…closer to you..”

Toni pursed her lips. “Closer to me?”

Cheryl squeezed her hand tighter. “Ever since I met you..you have been confident. You have been so sure of yourself. You carried yourself in such a way that you seem cocky but not in an off-putting way. You have held it together during all this even when I was less than pleased with you. You always tried to keep a smile on your face…which is good but….” Her voice trailed off. “I never really know what’s going on in your head. Everything doesn’t always have to be ok...”

Toni watched her intently as she spoke.

“I don’t expect you to tell me..I have only known you a month. I guess what I am saying is I am not going to think differently of you all because you lost your temper one time.” Cheryl said softly.

Toni felt tears sting her eyes and blinked them away as fast as she could. “I just know what you have told me in Vegas briefly about your parents…I don’t want you to ever feel like I am out of control or..I don’t know, capable of hurting anyone.”

Cheryl let out a chuckle. “Toni..everyone loses their temper, you’re human ok? How many times have you seen me lose my temper? I am pretty sure within 10 seconds of meeting me you saw that.”

Toni let a smile play at her lips. “I know but….”

“But nothing.” Cheryl said planting a kiss onto Toni’s cheek gently. “We still have a lot to learn about each other.”

Toni nodded slowly in agreement. “You’re right.”

Cheryl gave her another smile and caressed her cheek gently. She pulled her in for a soft kiss. ‘I wish you didn’t have to work.” She mumbled against Toni’s lips.

“I know..I have to head back to get ready…” she looked down sadly.

“I’m getting picked up from here with Josie, we will swing by your trailer to get her bag, but other than that I probably won’t see you until Monday’s session.” Cheryl said.

Toni nodded again, a pout still on her lips. “In that case…” she leaned forward, stopping right before her lips were on Cheryl’s and looked her directly in the eyes. “Something to get you by.” She connected their lips in a slow, deep kiss, sliding her tongue into the redhead's mouth. Cheryl kissed her back just as passionately, nails scratching gently on the back of Toni’s neck. Toni broke away with her eyes still closed, relishing in the high she felt from kissing the redhead.

“See you tomorrow.” Cheryl said dreamily.

****

Cheryl found herself running to session again come Monday evening. Toni was right…that kiss. It kept her motivated, it played on a loop in her head until she saw Toni again. She joined the smaller girl on the leather couch and waited for Gabby to start them off.

“You two look happier and happier as the weeks go on.” Gabby observed. “Who wants to tell me why that is?”

“We kiss now.” Toni snickered, jumping right into it.

Cheryl’s face flushed red, but instead of being embarrassed, she smiled. “We do.” she confirmed slyly.

Gabby leaned back in her chair, surprise clear on her face. “Is that so? How are we feeling about that?”

“Good…but unclear.” Cheryl admitted as she looked over at Toni, who was nodding in agreement.

“Hmmm...Unclear…what do you mean by that Cheryl?” Gabby asked.

She pursed her lips in thought. “I mean..we are in this ‘situation’” she started, smirking at the word they had chosen first session. “But we aren’t really official, but we are by law. I don’t know. It’s a mess to be honest. I guess I don’t know where we stand at this point. Or where we want to stand...”

Gabby nodded as she listened. “Makes sense..and Toni? What do you think about what Cheryl just shared?”

Toni leaned forward on the couch. “I agree. It is unclear right now. Cheryl and I had a conversation this weekend. We both agreed we have a lot to learn about each other..so I guess that’s where I stand. I am open and I want to keep learning more about her.”

Gabby nodded excitedly. “In that case…I do have a suggestion or an assignment for you two if you are up for it?”

Both girls nodded their heads.

“Hold on to your lists by the way, we will get to those. What I would like for you two to do within the next couple weeks is to take each other to an important childhood place. What I mean by that is a physical place that was a big part of your life. It could be anything. It could be a workplace, an old street, a restaurant, a store, anything that you would like the share. Explain to the other why it is important to you. Would you be open to that?” Gabby asked carefully.

Cheryl felt her stomach drop. Now was the time. If she didn’t want to get deep with Toni she could say it right now. She glanced over and saw the color drain from Toni’s face as well. She knew where she would take Toni. There was no question about that. The question was if she was ready to go there. She heard Toni take a shaky breath next to her.

“I…I think it is something we could try…” Cheryl’s voice drifted off.

“You don’t have to do it by next week, just within the next few weeks or so.” Gabby answered happily.

“Okay.” Toni said quietly.

“Alright you two. We are done for today, I’ll see you next week.” Gabby announced as she walked the pair back out to the waiting room.

Cheryl could feel the strange tension between her and the pink haired girl. Both clearly deep in thought.

“I’ll see you at home for ice cream, yeah?” Toni asked breaking Cheryl from her thoughts.

“Of course TT, see you there.”

*****

The rest of the week went by quickly. After Monday’s session both girls had subconsciously distanced themselves from each other. They were cordial but the intensity of their chemistry was starting to become too real. At least for Toni.

They had agreed they would dial it back around Veronica. They did not want her catching onto them or putting her two cents in. In the short time Toni has known Veronica, she knows the dark haired girl would be extremely supportive of them. That is exactly what Toni and Cheryl did not want. They wanted to figure this out on their own. No outside influences.

Toni sat in her trailer and waited for Cheryl like she did every Friday. This weekend she planned to take Cheryl to her childhood place. She wanted to get it out of the way. She wanted to give Cheryl a chance to decide if she wanted something more with her or not. Her heart was already racing just thinking about it. She had  _ never _ opened up to anyone besides her friends. Every romantic partner was kept an arms length away from her heart. Toni glanced at her watch anxiously, wanting to catch Cheryl before she had to leave for her shift. She heard the crunch of gravel under tires and smiled, knowing it was the redhead.

Cheryl came bounding in the trailer, greeting Toni with a relieved grin.

“I’m so happy to see you, this has been a weird week.” the redhead confessed.

Toni nodded in agreement. “It has, the next few weeks getting ready for this gala are going to be crazy. Veronica has so many things for me to do.” she chuckled lightly. “Which sort of segways into something I want to talk to you about…”

Cheryl’s face fell with worry. “What is it?”

“Since I have so much on the books for the next few weeks I was wondering if tomorrow during the day...if I could take you to my childhood place..” she asked carefully, gauging Cheryl’s reaction.

Cheryl’s eyes widened in surprise and she cleared her throat. “I would love that TT.” she stated quietly. “If you are ready to show me, I am ready to see it.”

Toni’s face relaxed. “Cool..cool… well I have to get to work, you have everything you need?”

Cheryl nodded happily as she gazed lovingly around the trailer. “I am set.”

“I’ll see you later.” Toni sighed as she walked towards the door.

“TT..wait.” Cheryl said stepping towards the shorter girl.

Cheryl tapped her lips with her index finger, a small smile taking over.

Toni grinned and gave her a peck. “See you tonight.”

*****

Toni arrived home at 2 AM, bones aching. She was running from one end of the bar to other all night. It was hard being away for the week because everyone wanted to talk to her while she worked. She made drinks, answered questions, caught up, and filled the Serpents in about the upcoming gala. She did not get one moment to herself all night.

When she stepped into the trailer the first thing she noticed was that Cheryl was not on the couch curled up like she usually is. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but it quickly dawned on her where the red head could be. She padded down the hallway to her room and opened the creaking door as quietly as she could. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Cheryl curled up in a ball on one side of the bed, making sure to leave room for the pink haired girl. She was under the comforter, her red hair splayed across the pillow, breathing peacefully. Her face looked so relaxed. Toni could have sworn there was a sleepy smile on her lips.

Toni shrugged out of her Serpent jacket and changed into a long t-shirt to sleep in. She lifted the blankets and cuddled up to Cheryl, planting a kiss on her forehead. Toni wrapped an arm around her torso and fell asleep before she could even worry about what tomorrow would bring.

*****

Cheryl opened her eyes and immediately saw pink. The color was starting to grow on her. Toni was snoozing peacefully on Cheryl’s chest, her hair spread every which way. Cheryl smiled to herself and began running her long fingers through the shorter girls locks until she began to stir.

“Good morning.” Cheryl said cheerfully as she continued stroking Toni’s hair.

“Good morning.” came the Serpents mumbled response as she snuggled against Cheryl’s chest.

“It’s time to start the day.” Cheryl announced. She didn’t want to pressure Toni, but she was more than ready to see where the pink haired girl was taking her today.

“I like it here.” Toni giggled. Her head was planted firmly between Cheryl’s breasts.

“Of course you do.” Cheryl laughed, rolling her eyes. “But we have a full agenda before you have to work tonight.” Cheryl reminded her lightly.

Toni groaned in protest. “Don’t remind me.”

Cheryl furrowed her brow, already sensing the anxiety coming off the shorter girl. “We don’t have to do this today if you don’t want too…” she began.

Toni sat up adburtly and gave Cheryl a reassuring smile. “I want too..swear.”

Cheryl nodded, still apprehensive. She pressed a bit further, hoping to see where Toni’s mind was at. “You know...we don’t have to do this at all...all because Gabby wants us too doesn’t mean we have too. We are doing what the court said, attending sessions.”

Toni squinted her eyes. “I...true but...I… I want too.”

Cheryl gave her a smile of affirmation. “Good, because I do too.”

Toni leaned down and gave Cheryl a quick peck on the lips. “Let’s get ready then, shall we?”

Cheryl watched as Toni hopped off the bed and began getting dressed. She waited until Toni went to the bathroom and got out of bed to get dressed as well.

“Put on some walking shoes.” Toni shouted from the bathroom.

“Walking shoes?” the red head shouted back.

“Yeah, you won’t get on my bike sooooo on foot it is.” Toni responded.

Cheryl rolled her eyes and pulled out her tennis shoes and laced them tightly.

“Ready?” Toni asked as she reappered back into the bedroom.

Cheryl nodded eagerly and got up to follow the Serpent out the door.

Cheryl followed behind the pink haired girl as she led them out of SunnySide Trailer Park and walked towards the main road. She could feel the anxiety and fear coming off Toni in waves. It was intense. Her jaw was clenched, her fists were balled, and her eyes were fixated straight ahead.

Cheryl reached out to her gently and grabbed her small hand, giving it a light squeeze. Toni squeezed back but kept looking forward.

They pair kept walking, Toni’s hands were becoming more clalmy by the second, but Cheryl didn’t let go. Cheryl noticed Toni’s footsteps begin to slow as a familiar building came into sight .

“The Whyte Wyrm?” Cheryl asked curiously.

Toni nodded and lead them around the back of the building. Cheryl had never seen the bar in the daylight and had only ever gone into the front entrance. She followed Toni through a rusty door that opened into a large stock room. There were wooden crates everywhere. The room was relatively plain except for a wall sized Serpent flag. It took up the whole wall to the left. 

“A stock room?” Cheryl asked carefully.

Toni let out a chuckle. “Kinda...follow me.” she lead Cheryl towards the giant Serpent flag. “Lift up the bottom right corner.” Toni instructed.

Cheryl squinted suspiciously but followed the pink haired girl instructions. She knelt down next to the flag and lifted the bottom corner to expose the wall. She gasped in surprise. There was a hole in the wall, large enough for someone to crawl through on their hands and knees.

“After you.” Toni giggled as she saw the look on Cheryl’s face.

Cheryl got down on her hands and knees and began crawling through the small opening with Toni close behind her. It was pitch black at first until Toni crawled in, and turned on the flashlight on her phone. She heard Toni rummaging around towards the wall and then. The room lit up. The ceiling was framed with white, twinkling lights. Cheryl smiled as she took in the small space. It was  _ so  _ Toni Topaz.

The walls were covered with photos, much like her bedroom. There was a purple bean bag in one corner. It was worn as if someone had spent hours curled up in it. There was a small CD player plugged in on the floor, and a pile of books in one corner. 

“It’s so you.” Cheryl laughed as she gazed around.

Toni shrugged and motioned towards the bean bag. Cheryl sat and made room for Toni to squeeze in next to her.

Cheryl felt Toni’s small body shaking like a leaf next to her. “Toni...thank you for bringing me here.”

She heard Toni sniffle once and take a deep breath in. “Ya know, my dad made this little place for me…”

Oh shit. Jumping right in. Cheryl turned so that she could look Toni in the eyes as she spoke.

“Like I told you he was Serpent King. He was for as long as I can remember.” Toni continued. “He would always be gone and when I became old enough to talk I would beg him to take me with him.”

Chery smiled picturing a little Toni Topaz running around tugging on the arm of her father's leather jacket.

“My mom said no of course but I was persistent and... adorable.” Toni laughed. “He told me he would bring me if I could stay out of trouble. At first I would just sit on the bar stools or play around the pool table.” she explained. “But things started getting intense so my dad made me this little spot.”

Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand urging her to continue.

“I would hang out here for hours. I loved it. No one knew about it except me and my dad. No one still knows about it. Except you now.” Toni said quietly.

“Not even the boys?” Cheryl asked, surprise in her tone.

Toni shook her head. “Not even the boys…”

“It looks clean in here, I would expect it to be dusty, unless...do you still come here often?” Cheryl questioned.

Toni bit her lip anxiously. “I came here the Monday after Vegas actually. To be honest with you I cried until I fell asleep on this bean bag. I was so disappointed in myself...”

Cheryl could feel the sadness radiating off of Toni. “I know the feeling.”

Toni inhaled shakily. “Like I have said before..it was hard proving myself to be Serpent Queen. My dad was a great leader there is no doubt, but he did some bad things, got the Serpents in the drug business. Despite that, he always made sure my mother and I were well taken care of.” Toni paused. “I always wanted something like they had ya know…..true love...admiration. I wanted that...until...until I didn’t.”

Cheryl squinted her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Things started changing when I was around 9 or 10 I guess. My parents seemed to fight more, at least more out in the open. I would always see them kiss and hug and makeup though. Which is why everything came as a shock…” Toni’s voice trailed off. “They were so in love Cheryl…”

Cheryl saw the tears forming in Toni’s eyes, the hurt apparent. 

“I’m sorry.” Toni sniffled, rubbing her eyes quickly.

“Take your time TT.” Cheryl said calmly, running a thumb over her hand.

“I came home from school one day and the trailer was empty. It wasn’t abnormal but it wasn’t normal either.” Toni mused. “My mom always had my snack ready for me and if she wasn’t going to be home she would send my grandpa over...but no one was there.”

Cheryl felt her heart rate increase, wondering where this was going

“I went immediately to my parents room, thinking my mom was asleep or somethin.” Toni said. “She wasn’t there...but I noticed the dresser drawers were half open and there was a lot of random clothes on the floor. It looked like someone was in a rush.” Toni picked on the skin around her index finger as she spoke. “For some reason I knew. In my gut.” the pink haired girl ghosted her palm over her stomach. “I knew she was gone..”

Cheryl gasped before she could stop herself. “She...she left you guys?”

Toni nodded solemnly. “Fucked up right? The person I thought loved me the most up and left in the middle of an April afternoon….or I guess the people that loved me the most…”

“People?” Cheryl asked carefully, already knowing where this was heading. She thought briefly of her own mother. Her mother never loved her, she made it clear all the time, but she never left Cheryl to fend for herself. Toni had a mother, one that loved her and cared for her, one that told her she loved her everyday..but she left. It didn’t make sense to the redhead. Both were messed up situations that she wished they did not have to go through.

Toni cleared her throat. “Yeah..my dad he got home that night and found me sitting on the couch not in bed and not fed. I remember him stomping back to their bedroom. I heard glass shattering, he had punched out the mirror. Even though I was young, I knew what it meant. He was realizing she was gone. The next few days after that were a blur to be honest.” Toni said. “My dad paced around the trailer like a mad man. I would try to get his attention but he would look right through me. He didn’t go to the Serpent meetings, he didn’t take me to the Wyrm. He paced so much he could have walked threw the floor.”

Cheryl’s heart rate increased and she felt her body tense as if she was feeling the pain of a ten year old Toni.

“Around day 3 my grandpa and uncle came over wondering what the hell was going on. They hadn’t seen us around and my dad still had not shown his face around the bar.” Toni explained. “They told me to go to my room, but I didn’t. What ten year old would listen to that?” she chuckled, trying to break the tension. “I pressed my ear to the door listening to them talk. I remember my uncle telling my dad to get his shit together. I remember my grandpa telling him that he had me to worry about.”

Cheryl nodded her head as her grip tightened on Toni’s hand.

Toni choked back a sob. “My dad...he..umm..” she paused again, a tear slid down her tanned cheek. “He told my grandpa he couldn’t do it anymore. It had only been three days but he couldn’t look me in the eye. I was too much like her…” Toni did not stop the tears this time. They fell freely, soaking her skin and falling off her face.

Cheryl immediately threw her arms around the shorter girl as she sobbed into her shoulder. She rubbed her hand up and down Toni’s back hoping to bring her some sort of comfort.

“I can’t believe I am telling you this.” Toni laughed through her tears. “Fuck.”

Cheryl squeezed her tighter, putting all the emotion she could into the gesture.

“So that night my dad left. He gave me a hug, told me he would be back. Haven’t seen him since.” Toni said, disgust in her tone. “I’ve seen my mom though.”

Cheryl’s ears perked up. “You have?”

Toni pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Oh yeah. I have seen her on the Northside. Driving in a nice SUV, carrying groceries into her two story house. I’ve seen her alright.”

Cheryl thought her heart couldn’t break anymore. The hurt that this girl carried around with her. She would never have guessed it.

“I found her by accident actually. I was bumming around with this chick who lived near the train tracks but on the Northside part. We were at the grocery store getting some shit and there she was. I ditched the girl there and followed her home…” Toni admitted, hanging her head down.

“Toni...I’m so sorry.” Cheryl said with as much sincerity as she could.

Toni shrugged in response. “It’s whatever. I went to live with my uncle after that. He is a real winner, let me tell you.”

Cheryl cringed, already not liking where this was going.

“I don’t blame the guy, he didn't ask to have a 10 year old dumped on him. He took care of me the best he could but he didn’t know what he was doing. That’s why Fangs’ mom was always getting me stuff. She would drop off those shampoos I told you about, snacks, old clothes, whatever she could find for me. The only thing my uncle bought me was food to survive. He didn’t want to waste his beer money on a kid he didn’t ask for.” Toni explained. 

“You couldn’t live with your grandpa?” Cheryl asked carefully.

Toni sighed. “He would check on us all the time but he didn’t know how to raise a young girl either. It’s not like he had much more money than my uncle. So he did what he could. I lived with him briefly when I was 16 but then I couch surfed until 18. Saved up my money from the Wyrm and bought the little place you know and love now.”

“What happened at 16?” Cheryl asked quietly.

“I brought home a girl.” Toni said simply.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow in question.

“I brought a girl over after school. We were watching TV, started kissin a little and my uncle walked in..pretty self explanatory from there.” Toni shrugged.

Cheryl closed her eyes tightly, knowing all too well the wrath that could come from that.

“So those ‘commitment issues’ people keep bringing up. This is the madness of all that.” Toni said, leaning back against the wall. “If my own fucking parents didn’t want me...why would I give someone else the chance to? And those are the people that are supposed to love you no matter what? Funny how that works out…” Toni’s voice trailed off.

Cheryl couldn’t stop the sob that escaped from her. She covered her mouth with her hand, pressing tightly. This was about Toni, not her. She couldn’t help it. She felt for her. She could feel the pain. She could see it in her brown eyes.

“I don’t want to be them Cheryl…” Toni said through tears. “I can’t be them.” 

“You won’t Toni.” Cheryl pressed a firm kiss on her forehead. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh our poor girl Toni. Big things comin for these two. Stay tuned.


	15. Girl Interrupted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Thank you for your patience. The Christmas season sent me into an existential crisis and got me super distracted. So apologies to the delay. I will say this chapter is a little slower BUT only because next chapter will just take you on a rollercoaster of emotion, just sayin. Talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz about the chapter or just to chit chat. Also cannot forget my bestie @lez_blossom for reading this even if I only had like 2 sentences written. You da bomb. Apologies for any errors.

After Toni had opened up to Cheryl, the two had curled up in each other’s arms on the old bean bag. Cheryl can’t remember how long it took Toni to stop crying but it seemed like it would never end. Cheryl did her best to keep her own tears at bay, wanting to remain strong for the pink haired girl. She planted kisses to Toni’s forehead and cheeks until the exhausted girl fell asleep in her arms.

Cheryl watched her sleep, reflecting on everything Toni had told her. Cheryl would not wish that kind of pain on anyone. Toni had been betrayed by the people that were supposed to take care of her, to raise her. Cheryl rubbed her chest firmly, trying to soothe the ache she was feeling in her heart. She wished she couldn’t relate to Toni’s pain but…she could. Not in the same ways, but she knows the sleepless nights that Toni sat up wishing she could bring her parents back, she knows the guilt and turmoil that can come with blaming yourself for the actions of others. She ran a pale hand through pink hair, letting it fall between her fingers. The amount of affection Cheryl felt when gazing at the sleeping girl was dizzying. She knew things were changing between them, but this…this was intense.

She wanted to kiss her pain away, she wanted to hold her while she slept, she craved her. Her heart quickened at the realization. It had only been a little over a month but the thought of Toni not being in her life made her choke back a sob. She ran her hand through Toni’s hair one more time, planted a firm kiss on her forehead, snuggled into the bean bag and closed her eyes.

****

Toni open her eyes and breathed in the stale air of the small space. She felt a heavy weight on her chest and sighed contently knowing it was Cheryl. Her eyes blinked to adjust to the dim light and they burned from the tears that had fallen earlier. She had not cried that hard since she was a scared, 10-year-old girl. It was terrifying opening up to Cheryl, but Toni did not regret it for a second.

Cheryl was different from everyone and Toni knew that. Even though they were brought together by alcohol, loneliness, and bad decisions Toni couldn’t help but start to believe that it was fate. She brushed Cheryl’s red hair from her face and gave her a kiss on the lips.

She pulled out her phone, glancing at the time. She sat up quickly, her shift was to start in 10 minutes. Her and Cheryl had slept the whole part of the late morning and early afternoon.

“Cheryl…wake up.” Toni whispered gently shaking the girl awake.

“Toni..? What time is it?” Cheryl asked disorientated.

“My shift starts in ten minutes…but I can walk you home really quick, hop on my bike and be a couple minutes late.” Toni suggested.

“I don’t want to make you late TT.” Cheryl said quietly.

“Well I’m not letting you walk home alone, unless you want to stay with me at the bar for my shift?” Toni smiled.

Cheryl pursed her lips in thought. “I have an idea if you are good with it?”

“I’m all ears.” Toni responded grinning.

“I can sit up here for a little and then maybe you can have Sweet Pea come pick me up and I could go to your grandfathers for a bit...check on him...see if he needs anything…” Cheryl said shyly.

Toni felt her chest tighten as she grabbed Cheryl’s face gently between her hands. She took a moment to stare into brown eyes and brought their lips together sweetly. “That sounds perfect bab...Cheryl.” she stopped the pet name from slipping out.

Cheryl nodded and grabbed Toni’s hand to lead them out of the small space. “Let’s get you to work then.”

Toni rolled her eyes. “You just want to watch me break a sweat behind the bar.”

Cheryl shrugged innocently. “Okay, and?”

Toni giggled at her forwardness. “Come on, you’re gonna get me in trouble.”

****

Cheryl stayed at the bar with Toni for an hour like promised. Stealing kisses over the counter, sneaking to the stockroom every ten minutes for Toni to push her against the wall and kiss her breathless for a couple minutes until people came looking for them. It was good she left or Toni wouldn’t have gotten anything done. 

Sweet Pea picked her up in his old car and dropped her off at Toni’s grandfathers trailer. Thomas was more than pleased to see the redhead back in his doorway. She made him dinner, fluffed his pillows, and put on a movie for them to watch.

“She told you, didn’t she?” Thomas asked, breaking the silence between the pair.

Cheryl nodded solemnly, taking her eyes away from the television. “She did.”

He cleared his throat. “And…?”

“I think I am in trouble…” Cheryl’s voice drifted, longing and affection clear in her tone.

Thomas let out a gravely laugh “She’s in trouble too...the way you two look at each other...it’s a sight to see.”

Cheryl felt her face flush red. “I..I have never been like this before ya know? I’ve had a girlfriend....for a long time.” Cheryl paused, briefly wondering why she even felt the need to share this right now. “But..I left Toni’s work only an hour ago and I already can’t wait to see her again.” she admitted.

Thomas reached over to grasp Cheryl’s hand. “Don’t be afraid to tell her that.”

Cheryl nodded and gave Thomas a small smile. “I won’t.”

He grunted in approval and leaned back to get comfortable in his recliner. “Okay, now let’s watch some movies.”

Cheryl giggled and cuddled into the worn couch, glancing at the clock, mentally counting the hours until she would see Toni again.

****

Toni waited outside the Wyrm for Sweet Pea to pick her up from her shift. She was too emotionally exhausted from her day with Cheryl to even think about making the trek home at this hour.

He pulled up to the curb and she hopped in, immediately melting into the passenger seat. She kicked her boots up on the dash and rubbed her temples with her hands.

“Long day T?” Sweet Pea asked with a slight chuckle.

She groaned loudly. “You have no idea.”

“Oh come on, most of the Serpents were at Fangs’ for poker night, I know the bar wasn’t that busy. Or was Savannah trying to get into your pants again?” he asked.

“I told Cheryl about...about my parents.” she said slowly, still rubbing her temples firmly.

The dark haired boy whistled through his teeth. “Whoa..that’s big.”

“Tell me about it. I feel so exposed and we didn’t really get to talk about it after. I kind of cried until I couldn’t and passed out. She was at the bar with me but I just kept kissing her to distract her to be honest…” her voice trailed off.

“Well you will have plenty of time to talk.” he said carefully. “By the way I went by your grandpa’s place before I went to Fangs’ and Cheryl was still there, so if she isn’t home, she is probably there.” he informed Toni as he pulled up to her trailer.

“Thanks Pea. Later.” Toni said hopping out of the car.

Toni rushed to her front door, ready to fall into bed and not wake up until well into the afternoon. She pushed the door open to find a dark trailer, no sign of the redhead anywhere. Toni wandered to check her bedroom and found it empty as well. She felt a smile playing at her lips when she realized that Sweet Pea was right. Cheryl was still with her grandfather.

She headed straight back out the door to a few trailers down. She knocked on the door gently as she opened it. The sight she saw warmed her heart with affection. Cheryl curled up on the couch under an old quilt, and her grandfather snoring peacefully in his recliner. An old John Wayne movie droned in the background. Toni slowly walked over to Cheryl and sat down on the couch next to her.

“Cheryl?” Toni whispered. “Cheryl wake up babe.”

Cheryl blinked her eyes open slowly as she looked around disoriented. “Toni..you’re off work?”

Toni laughed in response. “Yeah, it's 2:00 am. You ready to go?”

Cheryl stretched her arms over her head as she slowly sat up. “So...tired…”

“I know so let’s get home.” Toni said standing up and extending her hand to Cheryl.

The redhead groaned in resistance. “Carry me.”

Toni grasped her hand and pulled her up slowly. “Not tonight Bombshell, I’m tired too.” she laughed.

“Mmmm...okay.” Cheryl said sleepily. “I missed you tonight, I couldn’t wait to see you again.” she yawned.

Toni paused briefly, looking at the redhead out of her peripheral. She bit back a smile. “I missed you too. Now let’s get some sleep.”

*****

The next morning Cheryl woke up before Toni and decided to go get the pink haired girl breakfast. Cheryl figured Toni would sleep for most of the morning, more than likely still exhausted from their emotional day yesterday. The redhead got out her phone to text Sweet Pea to pick her up. Even though their experience at Pop’s had not been ideal, Cheryl couldn’t help but notice how Toni went crazy over the pancakes she had ordered. She wanted to bring some back to the trailer for the pink haired girl.

Cheryl heard Sweet Pea pull up a few minutes later and she went out to meet him. She hopped into the passenger seat that was becoming familiar to her.

“Long time no see.” Sweet Pea laughed, glancing over at the redhead.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “You’re the only one I know around here that has a car and not just a bike.”

“Or I am not as bad as you thought I was?” he countered.

Cheryl sighed heavily. “You aren’t toooo bad. If you’re Toni’s friend and Josie likes you I guess I have to get used to you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment coming from you.” he laughed.

“You should.” she said with a smirk on her lips.

They pulled up to Pop’s and Cheryl went to hop out of the car. “What do you want Serpent?” Cheryl asked with a playful smile on her face.

Sweet Pea grinned back. “Is it too early for a burger?”

Cheryl rolled her eyes and skipped into Pop’s, looking forward to her breakfast with Toni.

After Cheryl had got the food, Sweet Pea dropped her off at the trailer, already halfway through his burger. 

“See ya later.” he yelled to the redhead as she ran inside.

She placed the to-go boxes on the counter and went to go wake up her favorite Serpent. She crept into the bedroom quietly and sat on the bed next to Toni. She gently moved a lock of pink hair that had fallen over her face. Cheryl leaned down and placed her lips onto Toni’s cheek. She planted kisses up and down her cheek, giggling as she did.

Toni’s lips curled into a smile as she realized what was happening. “Good morning.”

“Good morning ma cherie. I have a surprise for you in the kitchen.” Cheryl giggled as she stood up, dragging Toni with her.

The pink haired girl blinked as she woke up, still trying to figure out what was going on.

“Please sit.” Cheryl instructed as she pulled a chair out for Toni.

“Okay….” she responded unsurely as she eyed Cheryl waltzing around the kitchen.

Cheryl grabbed the to-go container and placed it in front of Toni. She watched as the Serpent looked at it suspiciously but curiously at the same time. Cheryl opened it slowly for dramatic effect until the stack of pancakes was revealed.

Toni looked at Cheryl with wide eyes. “Are these what I think they are?”

Cheryl nodded excitedly as she clasped her hands together. “They are. I saw how much you liked them and...you didn’t get to finish them all so...I thought you could try again.”

Toni smiled at Cheryl softly. “This is amazing Cheryl, thank you so much.” She immediately began cutting into them.

Cheryl grabbed her own box and sat down next to Toni. She tapped the table nervously with her nail, wanting to bring something up to Toni. A suggestion. 

Toni sensed it right away. “What’s up?” 

“How do you know something is up?” Cheryl questioned, arching an eyebrow.

Toni pointed towards her tapping nail. “You are tapping away on the table.”

Cheryl feigned shock. “I guess I am...I have something I want to suggest actually…”

Toni raised an eyebrow in interest. “I like suggestions ...Bombshell.” she winked.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Not like that Toni. About a ride back to the city today.”

Toni nodded her head as she listened. “Is Smithers running late or something?”

“No..well..actually I told him not to come today.” she said slowly.

Ton squinted her eyes in confusion. “Cheryl...how else would you get back….?” her brown eyes widened in realization as she spoke. “No way…”

Cheryl nodded slowly, biting her lower lip slightly. “If that’s okay with you.”

Toni leaned over in her chair so she could plant a kiss to Cheryl’s forehead. “It’s more than okay! I...I’m honored that you trust me enough..plus it’s kinda hot.”

Cheryl swatted Toni’s arm playfully. “Clean up that mind Topaz. And...of course I trust you..the way you trusted me this weekend.”

Toni grabbed Cheryl’s hand “I will take good care of you.”

“I have no doubt.” Cheryl responded quietly.

*****

After a filling breakfast and Toni insisting on cuddling on the couch while she digested, the girls were ready to head back to the city.

Toni was buzzing with excitement to finally have Cheryl on the back of her bike. She never thought she would see the day. She was rummaging in her closet trying to find her extra helmet for the redhead to wear.

“Cheryl!” Toni called from her room. “Wear jeans please. As much as I love your skirts and those shorts, I need those legs protected.” Toni heard Cheryl snicker in response from the couch in the living room.

“I know Toni.” the redhead responded annoyingly.

Toni smirked at the Cheryl’s sassy tone. She couldn’t stop the butterflies in her stomach at this point and she didn’t want too. Even just hearing the redheads voice sent her into a spiral. She stood up on her tiptoes to reach the shelf in her closet and grabbed her extra helmet. She dusted it off with her sleeve and headed to the living room to make sure it fit on Cheryl’s head.

Toni walked down the hallway and stopped dead in her tracks. Cheryl was standing in the middle of the room having just put on her jeans. She bent over to pick up the leather jacket Toni had lent her and Toni could not help but stare at the glorious view in front of her. She smirked to herself as she admired the redheads backside.

“I can literally feel you staring.” Cheryl said as she snapped up, clutching the jacket in her hand.

Toni’s face flushed red, but she quickly recovered with a shrug. “Can you blame me?”

Cheryl smirked in response and began putting on the jacket, zipping it up slowly, staring into Toni’s eyes as she did.

“You look hot Bombshell.” Toni said lowly, stepping closer to Cheryl and planting her hands on the redheads slim waist. 

Cheryl kept her eyes locked onto Toni’s enjoying the heated stare she was getting from the pink haired girl. 

“Let’s go Bombshell, you’re making me crazy.” Toni chuckled as she broke eye contact and led Cheryl out of the trailer by the hand.

When they got outside Toni watched as the redhead eyed the bike nervously, shuffling her feet a bit as they walked towards it. 

“Here she is.” Toni said proudly as she patted the seat of her bike. “Isn’t she a beaut?”

Cheryl cocked her head as she watched Toni gawk over the bike. “Yeah Toni...super pretty.” she mumbled.

Toni took a step towards Cheryl, grabbing her hand lightly. “Don’t be jealous over a bike babe.” Toni let the pet name slip, much like she had last night. “She is not prettier than you...but you know that.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “I know that.” she tried to sound cocky but Toni’s intense stare left her weak in the knees.

“I’ll get on and get everything steady, then you get on behind me, okay?” Toni said as she placed a light kiss to Cheryl’s cheek and mounted the bike.

Cheryl nodded in acknowledgement and watched as Toni straddled the bike with ease and rocked back and forth on her feet.

“Hop on.” Toni said with a smirk as she watched Cheryl walk slowly toward the bike. She grasped Toni’s shoulder lightly to steady herself as she threw one leg over and adjusted herself behind the pink haired girl.

Toni let her get comfortable for a few moments. “I’m gonna start it okay?” she said carefully.

Cheryl wrapped her arms around Toni’s waist and pressed her face into the soft pink hair cascading down Toni’s Serpent jacket. She nodded in confirmation.

Toni started the bike, bringing it to life with a low rumble. “You okay Bombshell?” she shouted over the engine. She felt Cheryl squeeze her waist in response and nod against her back once more.

Toni reached one of her hands back behind her to squeeze Cheryl’s arm. “I got you.”

Toni took off slowly as she made her way through the gravel of the trailer park. “Hitting the main road.” Toni shouted to Cheryl as she picked up speed and steered them onto the road. Toni steadily increased their speed and felt Cheryl squeezing the air out of her as they got onto the highway. 

Toni drove as safely and carefully as she could to make sure Cheryl was as comfortable as possible. Ten minutes into the ride Toni felt Cheryl remove her head from being pressed into her back. She glanced briefly in her mirror and saw Cheryl curiously looking around as they cruised along. Toni bit back a smile, thrilled that the redhead now seemed to be enjoying herself or at least relaxing. She glanced in the mirror one more time and saw the beautiful smile that was becoming familiar to her. This time Toni didn’t fight her own smile that took over her lips and it stayed there until they were safely parked back in the city.

“Thank you for being gentle with me Toni, I enjoyed that a lot more than I thought I would.” Cheryl said happily as she removed her helmet and tucked it under her arm.

“Is this a sight I can grow accustomed to...you on the back of my bike?” Toni asked lowly as she eyed Cheryl up and down.

“Maybe…” she shrugged as they walked into the apartment building.

“No Smithers.” Toni noted as they got on the elevator.

Cheryl nodded in acknowledgement as the elevator climbed to their floor. Once they got to their door Cheryl unlocked it and they headed inside.

Toni looked around, breathing a sigh of relief at her home for the week. She noticed the lights being off and it being too quiet for Veronica to be home. She always had some sort of music playing in the background. She watched as Cheryl threw down her bag and reached for the zipper of the leather jacket Toni had lent her.

“One second Bombshell.” Toni chuckled as she stepped towards the redhead. “Allow me.” 

Cheryl eyes locked with Toni’s brown ones as the smaller girl gripped the zipper between her fingers and slowly lowered it down. Cheryl went to help her remove it but Toni stopped her.

She slid her hands under the leather, gliding her hands over the fabric of Cheryl’s shirt as she brought her into an embrace. “Keep it on.” she breathed into her ear. Toni’s lips kissed gently down Cheryl’s neck, settling on her pulse point as she sucked lightly. The reaction from Cheryl was immediate. The redhead found her hands harshly tangled in Toni’s pink locks as she gripped tightly, relishing in the feeling of the pink haired girls plump lips on her neck.

“My...my room.” Cheryl managed to breath out.

Toni pulled herself away from Cheryl’s neck. “You sure?” she searched her chocolate eyes for resistance and saw none.

Cheryl nodded in response as she grabbed Toni’s hand and pulled her down the hallway.

Toni bit back a smile as she allowed herself to be dragged into Cheryl’s room. She had only been in there a handful of times, but she didn’t have time to look around before Cheryl was slamming her back against the newly closed door. “Easy babe, we got time.” Toni chuckled as Cheryl removed Toni’s Serpent jacket.

“I...am..tired of waiting.” Cheryl admitted, eyes locked on Toni’s lips. “Do you know how many nights I have laid in here trying to remember the sounds you made in Vegas...tried to remember every detail of how you made me feel.”

Toni closed her eyes tightly, not able to fight back the moan that escaped her lips at Cheryl’s confession. “Me….me too.” Toni choked out as Cheryl brought her lips down to Toni’s neck. “I...I ..fuck.” the pink haired girl mumbled not even able to form words.

Cheryl pulled back from Toni’s neck to look into her lust filled eyes. “Toni Topaz...speechless… I seem to be having that affect on you.” she chuckled as she connected her lips to the shorter girls.

Toni responded enthusiastically. Kissing Cheryl with as much passion as she could muster. She pushed back from the wall and walked Cheryl towards the queen sized bed. The pair fell onto the soft surface with Toni hovering gently over Cheryl’s body. She watched the redheads chest rise and fall with ragged breath as she anticipated Toni’s next move.

“God you’re so hot…” Toni said lowly. “I can’t wait to fu…” Toni words were cut off by a voice ringing from the living room.

“TONI...CHERYL?” A sweet voice called for the duo. “You guys here? I saw the helmets. Does that mean what I think it means?” Veronica continued to ramble on as she walked down the hallway, her heels clicking loudly.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Cheryl said through gritted teeth.

Toni groaned and reluctantly hopped off of Cheryl and the bed. “What should I say?” she asked hastily.

“Just...follow my lead.”Cheryl said smoothing her shirt, adjusting her jacket, and fluffing her hair.

Toni bit back as smile as Cheryl flung open the bedroom door.

“In here Veronica.” Cheryl called sweetly to her roommate. “TT and I are arranging my closet.” She shot Toni a look to play along.

“Oh fun! I want to help.” Veronica stepped into the room and immediately froze, her eyes darted between the two girls as a knowing smirk took over her face. She placed a manicured hand on her hip. “Organizing a closet hmmm….”

Toni shifted nervously, her boots squeaking on the floor. “Yeah...uh ...yup..lots to do, lots of clothes.” 

Cheryl crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “Yes Toni, there is a lot of clothes, now let’s get back to it.”

Veronica continued to watch the awkward exchange with amusement. “Toni..after you take a cold shower or whatever you need to do to please come see me in the living room. And Cheryl...you got a little somethin….” the raven haired girl touched her index finger to the skin of her neck. “Nothing a little concealer can’t fix.” she turned on her heel with a satisfied grin and exited the room.

Toni shot Cheryl an apologetic look and followed Veronica out of the room.

Veronica turned, gave Toni one last eyebrow raise and motioned for her to sit on the couch.

Toni sat down and peered at Veronica curiously, waiting for her to speak.

“Toni, not to stress you out but the gala is a mere three weeks away.” Veronica began. “How is everything coming on the venue end? We need to start finalizing the menu, the guest list, entertainment, speeches, and vendors.” Veronica listed. “I have the invites out, specifically planned individuals as we discussed. People that are likely to be interested in our cause. The proper media as well…”her voice trailed off.

Toni exhaled slowly, trying to remain composed. These types of things were second nature for Veronica, it was fun for her. Toni didn’t want to mess anything up. She opened her mouth to answer when she felt a hand delicately land on her shoulder.

“Don’t stress her out Veronica, she’s got it handled.” Cheryl said as she gave Toni’s shoulder a light squeeze.

Veronica’s eyes softened slightly. “I know, I’m sorry to throw it all at you. I get in business mode and I just go a mile a minute. Everything will fall into place, it always does. Just know...I may be really on your ass these next few weeks. It’s crunch time.”

Toni nodded slowly as she felt her chest tighten with anxiety, she did not want to mess this up.

*****

3 Weeks Later

Cheryl watched for what seemed like the 100th time in the past three weeks as Toni ran a hand through her long, pink hair. She always did it when she was nervous. It was another Sunday afternoon. The impending weekend of the main event was looming over the New York apartment. Cheryl appreciated the dedication Toni was putting into all this but it was cutting into the progress they had made over the past couple months. They had not had a “moment” since Veronica had interrupted them three weeks ago. Even their weekends on the Southside were spent with Toni going over details with The Five Seasons staff or working at the Wyrm. The rare moment that she was not at one of those places, she was talking with the Serpents about key points to speak on if approached at the gala.

To say Cheryl missed Toni was an understatement. She was utterly lost without the pink haired girl. She craved her presence, she missed her smile, she missed kissing her. She had an idea though. Something she had in the back of her mind. Something to ground Toni. Something to calm her.

“Toni.” Cheryl said, breaking the pink haired girls concentration.

Toni raised her head from the screen of Veronica’s laptop in acknowledgment.

“Do you have your list?” the redhead asked curiously.

“My list?” Toni inquired.

“From session…..The Caring List...remember?” Cheryl reminded the Serpent.

Toni’s brown eyes lit up as she realized where this was going. “Mmmm...front pocket of my bag.”

Cheryl hopped off the couch and kneeled down on the ground to look in Toni’s bag. She unzipped the front pocket and felt under for paper. It crinkled under her fingers as she pulled it out. “Thank you.” she said cheerfully skipping to her room to put her plan into action.

Cheryl sat cross legged on her bed as she unfolded Toni’s list carefully. She smiled eagerly as her eyes becoming scanning down the paper.

**Toni Topaz Caring Day List**

  * **Morning Coffee**
  * Holding Hands while watching TV
  * “How's Your Day?” Text
  * Get me flowers (Stargazer Lilies, Tulips)
  * Slow dance in the kitchen
  * Take a nap together
  * Bring me my favorite ice cream
  * Go on a motorcycle ride
  * Sip wine and watch the sunset 
  * Goodnight Kiss

Cheryl grinned as she read the list. Toni Topaz. A secret softie. Cheryl expected the motorcycle ride, the morning coffee, maybe even the flowers. She did not expect wine with a sunset and slow dancing in the kitchen. She clutched list to her chest and sighed dreamily. This was exactly what Toni needed right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading y'all. Stay tuned for the gala..should be interesting...


	16. Kinda Raspy, Kinda Valley Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, just a short note today. I am sorry for the delay and I am feeling very under the weather and not myself but I wanted to get this out to y'all. Thank you for your patience. Talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz. Thanks to @lez_blossom for brainstorming and helping me out.
> 
> Sorry for any typos or mistakes, I wrote the last few parts with a fever.

Cheryl rushed to session on Monday with Toni’s list in her purse. She was excited to broach the topic and see Toni’s reaction to her plan. She waltzed into the waiting room and her body immediately relaxed at the sight of the shorter girl. Toni was bouncing her knee rapidly and thumbing through a magazine.

“Hi T.T.” Cheryl said sweetly, greeting the pink haired girl.

Toni looked up from the magazine, her eyes softening upon seeing the gorgeous red head. “Hi Cheryl.” she grinned.

Cheryl walked towards Toni and reached out her hand to stroke a tanned cheek affectionately. “I am so excited for this weekend but I also cannot wait until it’s over. I hate seeing this pretty face so stressed.”

Toni shook her head and let out a light laugh. “I’m okay Bombshell.”

Before Cheryl could protest Gabby was sweeping them into their familiar room and they were seated side by side on the leather couch.

“Once again, you two are glowing.” Gabby commented, looking back and forth proudly between the pair.

Cheryl cleared her throat. “Sorry Gabby. Before you start...I have a question and a suggestion if I may.”

“Of course Cheryl, go ahead.” Gabby invited her kindly.

Cheryl saw Toni looking at her curiously as she rummaged in her purse for the folded up piece of paper. “Toni..you have been so stressed these past few weeks and I have been racking my brain for ways to make you feel better.” she began. “I asked for your list yesterday and I would like to do that for you...if you are okay with it.”

“Cheryl...what a wonderful idea.” Gabby said happily. “Toni..how do you feel about Cheryl’s idea?”

Cheryl glanced at the shorter girl and saw her eyes shining with tears.

“I...I don’t know what to say. I knew you wanted my list last night..I guess it's just shocking..but in a good way.” Toni said softly.

“What do you mean shocking?” Gabby asked.

“I mean..that someone wants to do that for me. The fact that Cheryl knows I am stressed, the fact that she wants to help. It is comforting and it is scary and it is amazing all at the same time.” Toni explained.

Cheryl felt her heart rate increase at Toni’s words. Comforting, scary, and amazing. She felt all those things too. Comforting to know someone cared. Scary because she was starting to feel a lot for the girl sitting next to her. Amazing because she had never felt this way before with anyone.

Gabby nodded encouragingly as she listened to Toni speak. “Well it sounds to me like both of you are becoming aware of each others' emotions and needs, that’s great.”

Cheryl smiled in acknowledgement. “I can agree with that. I wanted to ask though, can you explain to me how it works again. I want to do it exactly right.” Cheryl finished her sentence and felt a warm hand reach over to grip hers gently.

Gabby’s eyes dropped briefly to the pair of connected hands as she bit back a smile. “Of course Cheryl. You and Toni will choose a day, this week if you are wanting to do this before the gala, and during the course of that day you will carry out the items on Toni’s list.”

“Easy enough. What do you think T.T.?” Cheryl asked excitedly.

“I think...it’s a good idea.” she said, giving Cheryl’s hand a light squeeze.

*****

Toni and Cheryl had come to a consensus that Wednesday would be Toni’s “Caring Day”. It would be a nice midweek break and would still allow Toni plenty of time to do last minute details with Veronica on Thursday and Friday. She had been tossing and turning on the couch all night not able to sleep. It was almost 4 AM, the time Cheryl usually came out to start her day, but she didn’t stir. Toni huffed in frustration and threw a blanket over her head. 

She drifted off to sleep because when she awoke she smelled the delicious smell of coffee and heard quiet humming coming from the kitchen. She sat up slowly and saw Cheryl waltzing around, already dressed for work. Toni glanced at the clock, 6 AM. The red head turned around and caught Toni’s gaze.

“Oh! Good morning T.T. I have your coffee for you.” she exclaimed as she grasped a mug in her hand and walked it over to the pink haired girl. “Colombian roast with a dash of heavy cream.”

Toni’s lips curled up into a smile. “You remembered.”

“Of course I did.” Cheryl said simply, planting a kiss to Toni’s forehead. 

Toni took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. “Thank you Cheryl.”

“No need for thanks, this is your day.” she stated. “Now for my next item. A motorcycle ride. Would you do the honor of driving me to work this morning?”

Toni felt her eyes widen. “Yeah...that would be great..but change out of those heels Bombshell. Maybe change when you get to work.” she giggled.

Cheryl nodded in acknowledgement and went to her room to change and prepare for her ride to work.

Toni dropped Cheryl off at work, her heart aching as she watched her walk inside. She took the long way back to Veronica’s, using the time to clear her head. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a moment to herself besides when she was trying to fall asleep at night. She couldn’t believe the feelings she was having for Cheryl. The ache in her heart when she wasn’t around her. The difficulty to fall asleep during the week after being used to waking up next to her in the trailer on the weekends. The constant thought of her lips on hers, the softness of her touch. She felt her chest tighten at the thought of not having Cheryl in her life, it was a thought she didn’t want to fathom. The notion of Cheryl not feeling the same way already had Toni feeling heart broken. She shook those thoughts out her head. If Cheryl was willing to do all this for her this week then she must be feeling the exact same way. 

Toni pulled up to Veronica’s building and parked her bike. She rode the elevator up to their floor and made the decision that she would tell Cheryl this weekend how she was feeling about her.

Toni walked into the room to see Veronica on the couch, glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. 

“Hey Toni.” she greeted happily.

“Hey V.” Toni said, tossing her helmet onto the table by the front door.

“Care to join me? I am calling all the press, just refinalzing.” Veronica stated.

Toni nodded and sat down next to the raven haired girl. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out smiled when she saw it was from Cheryl.

**Cheryl: How’s your day? Miss me yet?**

Toni shook her head and grinned and typed a quick reply.

**You: My day is lacking something beautiful, I miss your face. Doing some work with V, can’t wait until you are home.**

She clicked send without giving it a second thought. It was a bit cheesy, even for her, but Cheryl brought out that side of her.

“Let me take one guess at why you are smirking at your phone.” Veronica teased.

Toni rolled her eyes. “Try me.”

“I think a certain redhead just texted you. I practically saw you melt into the couch.” Veronica laughed.

“Maybe….” Toni said mischievously.

“You two are so obvious. You know the world wouldn’t end if you two actually decided to give it a try. I want you both to be happy, and you don’t have to keep sleeping on the couch on my account.” Veronica explained.

Toni felt her face heat up. “I know...actually, can I tell you something?”

“Of course.” Veronica stated, leaning forward slightly to listen.

“I...I am going to tell Cheryl this weekend how I feel about her. I think I’m falling for her. Actually...I know I am.” Toni said softly.

Veronica placed a hand up to her heart. “Ughhhh, stop. I am a sucker for romance. I have a hunch that the feeling will be mutual.”

Toni nodded slowly. “I hope so...I mean there is no way I can be misreading the signals she is giving...but..I don’t want to scare her away.”

Veronica reached over and gripped Toni’s wrist lightly. “I have not seen Cheryl this happy in ...maybe ever. I can promise you won’t scare her away. Just be patient with her. She has been through a lot.”

Toni chewed on her lip nervously. “We will see how it goes.”

Toni and Veronica worked for most of the morning and by lunchtime Toni felt her eyes closing.

“Take a nap Toni, we can pick this up later. I am going to go to Riverdale anyway. I miss my Archiekins. I will be back tonight.” Veronica stated as she got up off the couch.

“A nap does sound nice…” Toni’s voice drifted.

“See you later.” Veronica said as she opened the door to leave. “Oh! Cheryl..what are you doing here?”

Toni’s necked snapped toward the door. She saw red hair and smiled to herself. She stood up to see what was going on.

Cheryl was standing in the doorway. A paper bag in one hand and flowers in the other. “Hi Toni. Thought I would take a half day today.” the red head smirked.

Toni felt her heart swell with affection. “Are these for me?” she asked coyly, eyeing stargazer lilies and tulips in Cheryl’s manicured hand.

Cheryl’s grin grew as she extended her arm to hand them to the pink haired girl. “Of course anddddd,” she opened the paper bag revealing a tub of ice cream. “For later.”

“You are the best.” Toni exclaimed, giving Cheryl a quick peck on the cheek.

“Let’s get these in some water.” Cheryl stated as she walked into the kitchen. She placed the ice cream in the freezer and began filling up a vase with water.

Toni watched with admiration as Cheryl placed the flowers delicately in the vase and placed them on the counter. “You’re so beautiful Cheryl.” Toni admitted, unable to help herself.

A red blush crept up Cheryl’s cheeks as she gave Toni a soft smile. “As are you TT.”

Toni smiled in return which turned into a yawn, her exhaustion creeping up on her.

Cheryl pulled Toni’s list from her pocket with a grin. “Take a nap together. Perfect timing.” she giggled as she grabbed Toni’s hand to lead her to her bedroom.

Toni happily followed Cheryl, not going to argue about getting to sleep in her bed. She slid under the covers and immediately let out a sigh of relief at the softness of the mattress. Cheryl slid next to her, scooting closer to the pink haired girl.

“Do you mind if I watch a little TV? I am not too sleepy yet.” Cheryl asked.

Toni nodded as she burrowed her head further into a pillow. “Of course.”

Cheryl smiled and clicked on the flat screen TV that hung on the wall in front of her bed. She glanced over a Toni’s dropping eyes and reached under the covers to gently hold her hand.

“Holding hands while watching TV…smooth Bombshell.” Toni yawned as her eyes grew heavier by the minute.

“See you when we wake up Toni.” Cheryl whispered, planting a kiss to a tanned temple.

Toni drifted off to sleep quicker than she had all week.

When Toni awoke, she immediately noticed that Cheryl was not with her. She sat up quickly squinting around the dark room. She grabbed for her phone in her pocket and clicked it to life. 4:30. She had slept almost 5 hours; no wonder Cheryl had gotten up. She shook her head at herself and went to go find the red head.

As she padded down the hallway she heard soft music coming from the kitchen. Cheryl was sitting at the island on her laptop, looking deep in thought. Toni cleared her throat to get her attention. Cheryl quickly glanced up and gave Toni a welcoming smile.

“Hello my sleeping beauty.” She said.

“Sorry I slept so long, I guess I needed it.” Toni admitted, stretching her hands over her head.

“You did indeed, and you are just in time for your next item.” Cheryl announced as she stood up from the stool she had been sitting on.

Toni knitted her eyebrows together in confusion as Cheryl came closer to her. The redhead looped her arms around Toni’s neck and pulled her close.

“Slow dancing in the kitchen.” Cheryl said simply.

Toni grinned in understanding as her hands found a resting place on Cheryl’s hips.

“You know, I was surprised to see this on your list.” Cheryl stated as they swayed around the kitchen. “Very soft Toni Topaz.”

Toni rolled her eyes playfully and pulled Cheryl closer to her body. She locked eyes with the redhead as they moved, getting lost in the quiet music. Toni couldn’t help herself as she leaned up slightly to place a soft kiss to Cheryl’s lips. 

Cheryl’s mouth curled into a smile as Toni kissed her. She allowed the kiss to last a few moments before she was pulling away. “I can’t let you distract me right now; we have something else to do.”

Toni again eyed the redhead curiously. She rummaged in the cabinets and pulled out two wine glasses. She also opened the drawer and grabbed two spoons.

“Toni, if you could grab the ice cream, I am going to grab the wine.” Cheryl smiled.

Toni nodded and opened the freezer to get the ice carton out. Her heart fluttered with excitement when she realized Cheryl was fulfilling one of the last items on the list.

“Follow me madam.” Cheryl giggled as she walked towards her bedroom once more.

Cheryl’s room did not have a balcony, but it did have two floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city. She opened her curtains, letting the last bit of sunlight into the room. The redhead grabbed a blanket from her bed and laid it on the floor, smoothing the wrinkles out with her hand. 

“After you.” Cheryl said sweetly, motioning for Toni to sit.

Toni sat crossed leg on the blanket, facing the windows. She placed the carton and spoons on the blanket in front of her.

Cheryl followed and placed the glasses on the blanket as she opened the bottle of wine. She poured each of them hearty glass.

“How’d you know I like white wine?” Toni asked curiously.

Cheryl shrugged. “Just a hunch. I like red, it’s only right that you balance me out with white.”

Toni shook her head with amusement. “You are something Cheryl.” She lifted the glass and took a large swig of the wine. “Sweet. Like you.” Toni giggled as she reached for Cheryl’s hand.

Cheryl gave Toni’s hand a squeeze in acknowledgement and gazed at the sun setting outside. She reached over and grabbed the ice cream and a spoon from in front of Toni. She popped the lid off and dug a spoon into the soft dessert. She scooped up a small portion and tapped Toni on the shoulder.

Toni broke her eyes away from the window to see a spoon being held up near her face. She gave Cheryl a mischievous smile and wrapped her lips around the spoon. She moaned in appreciation at the taste of the ice cream. She didn’t miss the way Cheryl’s eyes darkened at the action. Toni gulped and closed her eyes trying to press down the desire she felt for the girl sitting across from her. She wanted her. Bad. But she wanted to wait until the gala. Curse the romantic in her. She wanted the night to be perfect. She had it all planned out. Attend the gala. Stare at Cheryl in whatever amazing outfit she was going to wear. Take Cheryl to the hotel room, tell her how she feels, and have sex all night. Simple. But ...the way Cheryl was looking at her right now was not helping her case.

“Cheryl…” Toni started carefully. She reached out and cupped her cheek with her tanned hand. “Thank you for today.”

Cheryl stared back into brown eyes, getting lost in them quickly. She could see the wanting in Toni’s eyes too. She could also see the reluctance, she wanted to wait. Cheryl would respect that. She lowered the spoon back down and leaned forward, giving the pink haired girl a firm kiss on the lips. “You deserve it Toni.”

Toni smiled and brought her hand from Cheryl’s cheek to her waist, pulling her over so she was sitting in the smaller girl’s lap. She locked her hands together, so the redhead was locked in her embrace. She rested her head on Cheryl’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “Best sunset ever.”

Cheryl hummed in approval and turned her head slightly to the side. “One more thing left.”

Toni cocked an eyebrow in response.

“A kiss goodnight.” Cheryl smiled.

“You already gave me a kiss, but I will take any kiss you have to offer.” Toni pledged as she leaned forward to meet the redhead.

Cheryl connected their lips, lightly sucking Toni’s bottom lip into her mouth and ending with a firm peck. 

*****

Saturday was finally upon them. Toni having already been on the Southside since Friday and had checked into her room at the Five Seasons that morning. The vendors, caterers, and the rest of the event staff were all setting up the room for the evening’s events. She was sitting on the bed of her room, her stomach swirling with nerves. Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead were getting fitted by Veronicas stylist. Toni watched in amusement as the boys eyed the suit options nervously. She had never once seen them in a suit the whole time she had known them. A button up shirt was the fanciest they had ever gotten. She saw a black dress bag on a hanger and knew her dress was in there. She hadn’t seen it yet but Veronica took her measurements and said she had the perfect thing for her. 

This was all so new to Toni but it seemed to all be coming together. She felt proud that her first act as Serpent Queen was going to bring positive attention to the South Side. Fangs’ mom was even going to bring her grandfather for a couple hours. Toni felt proud that he would get to see what she had been working on. She was extremely grateful that this opportunity quite frankly fell into her lap, in the form of a gorgeous redhead. If she hadn’t been involved in this wonderful fiasco with Cheryl, she would never have been able to work with Veronica.

Toni sighed dreamily as she thought of the redhead. She was ecstatic to spend the evening with her by her side. She was even more ecstatic to end the evening with her. Of course she was excited for the possible extracurricular activities, but she was more thrilled to tell her how she felt about her. Never in a million years would Toni Topaz be counting down the hours until she could tell a girl her feelings for them. 

“I see you cheesin’ over there T. What’s on your mind?” Sweet Pea asked as he straightened his suit coat.

She stood up off the bed to get a closer look at his outfit. “Just excited. Been waiting for this night for a long time.” 

“Are you ready for your big speech?” Jughead smirked.

Fangs elbowed him roughly in the ribs. “Don’t make her nervous dude.”

Toni held up a hand and shook her head for them to stop. “It’s okay. I am ready actually. Everything leading up to now has been extremely stressful and now I am just ready to enjoy it all.”

“Good, you deserve too.” Sweet Pea said with a firm nod of his head. “Shouldn’t your girl be here soon?”

Toni pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. Cheryl was downstairs helping out Veronica with some of the vendors. “She should be up here any minute actually.”

“We better get out then boys.” Sweet Pea said as he shook the hand of the stylist and herded the group out of the room.

“Do you want to see a peek of your dress?” the woman asked as Toni eyed the black bag again.

“I mean...I should try it on beforehand I suppose.” Toni said coyly.

Toni watched as the woman unzipped the bag and removed the dress. Toni felt her eyes go wide. It was absolutely gorgeous, unlike anything she had ever seen or worn before. It was black but shimmering with sparkles. Every angle that the light hit the dress caused it to shine. The pink haired girl was completely blown away. She reached her hand toward it and ran her fingers over the fabric.

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered, more to herself.

The woman nodded enthusiastically. “It is, Veronica has good taste, it is going to look amazing on you.”

Toni took the dress from the woman and went into the restroom to change. As soon as she slipped it on she knew it was perfect. It fit her body just right, she looked like she was headed to a red carpet. Tears stung her eyes as she again reflected on the importance of the upcoming night. A soft knock on the door broke her from her thoughts.

“Ms. Topaz, there is a young lady here for you.” The woman said.

Toni smiled to herself knowing just who it was. She took a deep breath and walked out into the suite. Sitting on the bed was Cheryl. Her jaw visibly dropping as she took in the site of Toni. The pink haired girl felt her heart soar at the way the redhead was looking at her.

“Do…do you like it?” Toni asked tentatively.

Cheryl stood up from the bed and walked over to Toni to get a closer look. “Toni.” She whispered. “You look…stunning..you..there isn’t even a word to describe you.”

Toni bit back a smile and felt her face heat up at the compliment. “Thank you Cheryl.”

“Ms. Blossom?” The stylist said sweetly. “Veronica has sent one for you too if you would like to try it on.”

“No need.” Cheryl replied. “I have something of my own.”

Toni shot her a look of amusement, curious as to what the redhead had planned.

“Very well.” The stylist smiled at the girls. “I will be on my way then, you ladies have fun tonight.” 

As soon as the door was closed, Cheryl hands were around Toni’s neck. “I don’t know how I am going to wait all night if you are going to be looking like this.” Cheryl said huskily.

Toni felt warmth radiate through her as she looked into Cheryl’s brown eyes. “Mmm...someone has big plans tonight.” she planted a kiss to the redhead’s plump lips.

“Maybe….” Cheryl shrugged as she slid her hands down to the small of Toni’s back, pulling her slightly closer. “And...maybe...I don’t wanna wait until tonight.” Cheryl admitted quietly, her eyes fixated on Toni’s lips.

The pink haired girl wet her lips with her tongue slowly, contemplating Cheryl’s proposition. “That sounds amazing babe...but...we can stick it out...I want tonight to be special...I got it all planned.” she said quietly.

Cheryl arched her eyebrows at the shorter girl. “Suit yourself.” She shrugged, dropping her hands a hair lower and resting them on Toni’s ass. She saw Toni chew on her lip in thought, clearly having an internal battle in her head to see if she could really wait until tonight. 

Toni sighed dramatically and pulled back from the redhead. “A few hours babe, I promise it will be worth it.”

Cheryl gave her a knowing smile and went to sit on the edge of the bed. “I passed the boys on the way up, they looked amazing in their suits.”

Toni nodded in agreement. “Veronica did a fantastic job picking everything out, they are in Burberry I believe.”

Cheryl hummed in approval. “Dapper. Veronica does have good taste in that sense. Not as good as me but close enough.” She smirked.

“So when do I get to see your mysterious outfit?” Toni asked the redhead, curiosity clear in her tone.

“When I meet you downstairs.” Cheryl said simply.

Toni shook her head with a smirk. “Whatever you say Bombshell.

*****

Toni spent most of the afternoon cuddled against Cheryl in bed while she tried to keep her nerves in check. She had changed out of her dress, sporting a white, fluffy robe, also provided by Veronica. She practiced her speech for Cheryl so many times that she could probably recite it in her sleep. After about the tenth time, the redhead kindly had to stop her.

“Toni you are going to do amazing. You are making yourself a wreck.” Cheryl said softly. “It is time to start getting ready, do you want me to help you with your makeup? Help take your mind off this?”

Toni hung her head “Sorry, I just, I am used to addressing the Serpents...but addressing people ..people that are worth something it’s intimidating, the Serpents would never judge me for what I have or don’t have.” 

Cheryl’s mouth turned into a deep frown. “Toni..you’re worth everything, don’t ever say anything like that again.” She said firmly as she planted a kiss to Toni’s lips. “I’ll be by your side all night...I promise.” 

Toni felt some of her nerves melt away at Cheryl’s words. “It’s nice to have you by my side.” She admitted quietly. 

Cheryl laced their hands together and pulled Toni gently up from the bed. “Let’s get you ready babe.”

*****

Toni stood in the hotel room, looking at herself in the full length mirror. Cheryl had finished her makeup for her and excused herself to Veronica’s room to get dressed. She didn’t want Toni to see her until she was down in the ballroom. Toni smoothed her dress with her hands, stunned by how everything had come together. She really did look like a million bucks. Her pink hair was curled perfectly in waves, cascading beautifully down past her shoulders and the dress fit her like a glove. She gave herself a small smile and took a deep breath. Her nerves were starting to creep up on her. She expected Veronica to be knocking on the door any second. They were going to walk in together to start the festivities. 

Right on time there were three sharp knocks on the door. Toni opened it and grinned widely at the raven haired girl. 

“Veronica, you look great!” Toni exclaimed as she took in Veronica’s appearance. Her dark hair was in loose waves as well, and she was wearing an emerald green gown that formed a V-line over her chest. It also had a high slit in the leg, going up to mid thigh. She also had her signature pearls around her neck.

“Thank you Antoinette, you look incredibly dashing yourself.” Veronica smiled.

Toni gave her a small smile and followed Veronica to the elevators.

“Now. When we get downstairs I will speak briefly, and announce the beginning of the cocktail hour. We will mingle for an hour or so, feel out the room.” Veronica started to explain. “Dinner will be served and as everyone is finishing up we will let you take the floor and give your speech. Remember, just speak from the heart, explain the cause, explain the passion, the history, and whatever else you deem important.” the raven haired girl said, the business woman in here coming out in full force.

Toni’s stomach was doing flips as she listened to her talk. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself, she could really use the calming presence of Cheryl right about now.

“Hey…” Veronica called softly. “You are going to do great. You are more than prepared for this ...and I see that look on your face..she will be down shortly.”

Toni bit back a smile. “I know...I’m ready.”

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival to the lobby. Veronica reached out gave Toni’s hand a light squeeze.

They walked towards the ballroom, heels clicking in unison as they made their way over. Veronica gave her one last reassuring smile as she pushed open the door to the room. Toni’s mouth fell open with shock as she took in the room. It looked better than she could have imagined. Numerous tables were set up with intricate flower arrangements as centerpieces. The large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, was casting a stunning glow over the whole room. The murmur of voices was overpowering. The room was full of people in expensive suits and gowns. It was straight out of a movie. Toni felt her legs start to shake as she and Veronica made their way towards the stage.

Veronica confidently strutted over to the microphone and waited for the voices to calm down. “Good evening everyone.” she began. “Thank you so much for coming this evening to hear about the South Side Project that Lodge Industries is backing alongside the Southside Serpents. It is a project close to my heart and the heart of the community. I have Antoniette Topaz here.” she gestured with an open hand over to where Toni was standing on the side of the stage. “She will address all you fine people after dinner.” 

Veronica continued to speak on financial needs and various topics that were going over Toni’s head. She finally took her eyes off Veronica and allowed them to scan the room. Her knees almost buckled on stage when she saw the girl walking into the double doors of the ballroom. Cheryl. If Toni thought she was gorgeous before she thought she was a masterpiece now. She was wearing that dress. No matter how many times Toni saw her in it she was transported to that night back in Vegas. It was made for her. The deep shade of red, the way it accentuated her breasts perfectly, the way it made Toni want to kiss her exposed neck and take her upstairs this second. Brown eyes met brown eyes as Cheryl gave the pink haired girl a shy smile. Toni felt her heart melt at the small gesture. Knowing that smile was for her had her heart beating a mile a minute.

“Please enjoy this cocktail hour, mingle, get to know each other, and dinner will be served in an hour.” Veronica concluded as she was met with a round of applause. She grasped Toni’s hand and led her back off the stage.

As soon as Toni was off the stage she was making a beeline for Cheryl, finding her sitting at the bar with Sweet Pea, her grandfather, and Fangs. The shorter girl walked up behind the redhead slowly and wrapped her hands around her waist as she rested her lips against her neck, placing a light kiss. “You...look...simply beautiful Cheryl.” Toni said with her lips against her ear.

Cheryl turned in the stool so she could face the pink haired girl, her brown eyes gazing up and down Toni’s body once more. “Thank you ...so do you.” she said leaning forward and kissing Toni’s lips sweetly. 

A clear of a throat broke them out of their bubble. “Still here!” Sweet Pea announced rolling his eyes.

Toni felt her face heat up as she gave the group an apologetic smile. “Sorry guys...got caught up in the moment.”

“Don’t apologize for affection Toni, ignore this lug.” her grandfather said roughly.

Toni gave him a soft smile as she brought the elderly man in for an embrace. “Thank you so much for coming grandpa, I know it isn’t easy for you to leave the house.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” he insisted, his eyes shining with pride.

“What are you all drinking?” the bartender ask politely to the group.

Toni placed her arm on Cheryl’s waist once more as she stood next to her. “We will take 5 shots of whiskey, a rum and coke for me and a rum and cherry coke for the beautiful woman next to me.” 

“Shots of whiskey? Someone is feeling nostalgic.” Cheryl mummered as she looked in Toni’s eyes.

“This is all I am having...I told you. I need a clear mind for tonight.” Toni said lowly.

Cheryl gave her a playful smile. “Color me intrigued.”

“Ladies! You look like a power couple tonight.” Veronica announced as she walked over to the girls and the Serpents. 

“Thank you Veronica.” Cheryl quipped as she adjusted her dress slightly.

“Are you enjoying yourselves so far?” Veronicas asked as she took a sip of her drink.

Everyone nodded in appreciation.

“Toni..I am going to use the restroom, I will be right back.” Cheryl announced as she stood from the bar stool, placing a kiss to Toni’s cheek.

Toni gripped her hand gently. “I can go with you if you want.”

Cheryl shook her head “Nonsense, I will only be a minute, stay here and entertain your chums.”

Toni chuckled as she watched her go. She turned her attention back to the boys and Veronica as they enjoyed their drinks and chatted excitedly about the night ahead. Toni started to zone out from the conversation, already missing the presence of the redhead that had been occupying the seat next to her. It had been more than enough time, she should be back by now. She looked towards the bathroom, squinting her eyes to try to find a flash of red. There. She smiled in relief at the sight, but who was that approaching her?

Toni watched as a tall, blonde girl in a tight black dress approached Cheryl and pulled her into a surprising embrace. She could tell by the way Cheryl swayed on her feet that it was unexpected. Toni watched curiously as the two broke apart. The mysterious blonde ran her hand down Cheryl’s pale arm and gripped her manicured hand in hers tightly. Toni felt her body grow warm as she furrowed her brows. Cheryl looked fine, but the other girls lips were moving a mile a minute. Maybe it was an old friend. Toni took a swig of her rum and continued watching the pair. The blonde was still holding Cheryl’s hand and now her thumb was stroking slowly over the redhead’s skin. Toni moved abruptly away from the bar to get a better look. The fire burning through her body was something she had never felt before. She didn’t care if one of her flings lost interest, if they found someone else at the bar for the night, but this...this was foreign. Toni was had never been a jealous person but….she felt like she could jump out of her skin.

“Veronica…” she said through gritted teeth.

“Yes?” she asked sweetly.

“Who….the...fuck... is that?” she said as she angled her head towards the two girls.

Veronica stood on her tip toes as she tried to see where Toni was looking. Her face went pale and she gripped her drink tightly. “Ummm….well...this is unexpected.”

“Who is it V?” Toni asked again, more urgency in her tone.

“Toni...don’t freak out but ...that's Heather.” Veronica said quietly.

Toni placed her drink on the bar, ready to charge over to the redhead.   
  


“Toni wait ...Cheryl can handle it.” Veronica pleaded.

“I know she can handle it..but I don’t want her to have too by herself..did you know she was going to be here?” the pink haired girl asked angrily.

“What? No of course not. I actually insisted that they their magazine send anyone but her, so I don’t know how she weaseled her way in.”

Toni nodded slowly, still watching the interaction of the two girls across the room. She couldn't stand the smile Heather was giving Cheryl and Cheryl was giving Heather. She ignored Veronica’s protest and began making her way over to the pair.

The closer she got the angrier she felt. She was within range to hear the girls voice now. Sort of raspy, sort of valley girl, but mostly annoying. She heard Cheryl’s melodic laugh and she was finally close enough to make a move. She slid her hand around Cheryl’s waist and gently pulled her into her side. Cheryl gasped in surprise but melted into Toni’s touch. The pink haired girl carefully grasped Cheryl’s chin between her thumb and index finger and brought her in for a deep kiss. “Whose this babe?” the shorter girl asked happily as she shot daggers at Heather. She didn’t miss the way the blonde’s blue eyes scanned her as well.

Cheryl cleared her throat carefully as her eyes darted between both girls. “Toni...this is ummm..this is Heather, she is umm...that old friend I told you about.”

“Old friend? Ouch Cheryl.” Heather jested. “You know we definitely went beyond friend territory.”

Cheryl pressed her lips into a firm line and stroked Toni’s back gently in an attempt to relax her. “Well, that’s in the past.” she said politely.

Heather nodded slowly as she continued to eye Toni. “And this is?”

Cheryl shifted on her feet as she contemplated her response. “This is my ...this is….”

“I’m her girlfriend..Toni Topaz..nice to meet you.” the pink haired girl said proudly extending her hand in a forced greeting.

Heater pursed her lips as she took Toni’s hand in hers, shaking it once and dropping it just as quickly. “Toni Topaz ...the Toni Topaz who is speaking tonight?”

“The one and only.” Toni said proudly as she continued to stare down the blonde.

“Well...I look forward to it…Cheryl I will see you later maybe? We can grab a drink, catch up?” Heather asked hopefully. 

“I don’t think so..but thank you for the offer.” Cheryl said sweetly as she gave Toni a sympathetic smile.

Heather nodded curtly, turned on her heel and made her way into the bathroom.

“Toni..I’m sorry..I didn’t know she was going to be here tonight.” Cheryl started to explain.

“It’s..it’s fine Cheryl. I have to suddenly use the restroom, I will meet you by the bar.”

“Toni.” Cheryl said with a warning tone. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m not, just have to use the restroom.” she stated, staring straight ahead.

Cheryl signed heavily and made her way back over to the bar as Toni walked into the bathroom.

The pink haired girl stood by the sink, washing her hands slowly as she waited for the blonde to emerge from one of the stalls. She took a few calming breaths trying to combat these feelings of jealousy she was having.

The blonde made her way out of a stall and made eye contact with Toni in the mirror. She had a brief expression of surprise which she quickly brushed away. “Toni.” she said simply.

“Heather.” the pink haired girl responded back. She watched as the taller girl made her way over to the sink next to her and began washing her hands. 

“You’re quite the protective one…” Heather began as she moved her hands under the water. “Kinda unattractive if I am being honest.”

Toni’s mouth opened in shock at the audacity of the blonde. “Come again?”

The taller girl turned off the sink, dried her hands and faced Toni full on. “I’m just saying...I know Cheryl..she may like you now. She may think you’re hot, you’re different, you have the whole wrong side of the tracks vibe.” she said, her eyes scanning Toni up and down again. “But...it’s temporary. She will get bored, she has expensive taste...she doesn’t fall so easily for girls who are playing dress up.”

Toni fists clenched together and all she saw was red as she looked at Heather. She took two steps closer before she could stop herself, gripping the blondes shoulder tightly with her hand as she pushed her against the bathroom counter. “I swear to God, if you so much as touch her again or even look at her again, I will make sure you will regret it.” 

Toni expected Heather to become fearful, maybe even cry a little but instead ...laughter.

“You really aren’t that bright are you. Threatening the girl who has to write a review on you. I have to report this whole event, how you did, how Veronica did, if Lodge Industries can handle this task, if the Serpents were ...violent...:” her voice trailed off. “So if I were you…I would let go of my fucking shoulder and get out of here before you do something you regret.”

Toni tightened her grip once more before she released it. Her heart was beating in her ears, her vision was blurred, she had never wanted to punch someone in the jaw as much as she wanted to in this moment. She looked down in defeat and turned to walk out of the bathroom.

“Oh, and Toni?” Heather called after her.

Toni looked up in acknowledgement.

“You’ll never be good enough for her.” Heather said sweetly as she reapplied her lipstick in the mirror.

Toni stomped out of the bathroom, not being able to think of anything else except punching out Heather’s infatuating straight teeth. She made her way over to the bar, not making eye contact with either of her friends.

“Toni…” Cheryl said softly as she reached out for the pink haired girls hand.

Toni stubbornly intertwined her hands together, not letting the redhead hold it.

“It’s almost time for dinner, are you ready to sit?” Cheryl asked quietly.

Toni nodded, still looking stoic and followed the Serpents, Veronica, and Cheryl to their table. She felt terrible that she was so mad but she couldn’t get Heather’s words out of her head. Toni had only known Cheryl a few short months. Heather had known her for years, she would know her better. If Heather said Cheryl would get tired of her, well then maybe she would. They already had an expiration date anyway. She wanted to tell Cheryl everything tonight, how she felt about her, how much she cared for her, how much she needed her, but Heather had ripped that all away within seconds.

“Toni.” Cheryl whispered again, trying to get her attention. “It’s almost time for your speech, do you need us to stall it for a little bit? You seem tense.”

“Tense is one word.” she responded dryly. 

Toni moved the food around on her plate with her fork, having no interest in consuming any of it. This was supposed to be one of the best nights of her life. Instead she wanted to run out of the room and forget about the past 3 months. Heather was right. She was playing dress up. This wasn’t her. She had so quickly resorted to violence to dealing with the blonde, the reaction that all these investors expected out of her. On the other hand, these past few months Toni had felt more joy out of her life then she had ever felt before. She had a reason to wake up in the morning, she had a project she was passionate about, she was falling in love with a beautiful girl. It hurt her deeply to have that all questioned. 

She sat and listened to her friends excitedly talk to one another about the people they had met so far and about Toni’s upcoming speech. She loved seeing smiles on the boys faces. She did not want to ruin their happiness by telling them what had happened.

“Are you ready Toni?” Veronica asked excitedly.

Toni nodded slowly, her stomach saying otherwise. She stood up to make her way to the stage. Cheryl got up to follow her.

“I will be front and center Toni, ok? Just like we practiced upstairs.” Cheryl said softly as she reached for her tanned hand.

Toni looked into her brown eyes, unable to feel anything but affection towards the redhead. She did her best to swallow down her feelings of jealousy and gave Cheryl a quick peck on the lips. “Thank you, I’ll be looking for you.”

Toni made her way up on stage as confidently as she could. When she got to the microphone she took a moment to look out at the crowd. She saw the proud face of her grandfather, the smiling faces of the Serpents, the encouraging face of Veronica, and the loving face of Cheryl. She took a deep breath and began speaking.

“Good evening everyone, my name is Toni Topaz.” she gave the crowd a smile. “I am the current Serpent Queen of the Southside Serpents. I am here tonight to tell you about our partnership with Lodge Industries and our plans we have set for the next few months and hopefully with your help, the next few years.” she paused and saw some head nods from the crowd. “I know that the Southside has been notorious for gang activity in the past but I can promise you that is behind us. We have struggled the last few years to move on from that and provide our residents with stable jobs. Due to the number of businesses that have shut down over the years, jobs close by are scarce. Veronica and I have already started rehabbing business, acquiring legit permits, and bringing in experienced managers and personnel to help with the logistics of the businesses.” Toni felt her confidence growing as she spoke. “We are starting small, just with the main strip of town, but if this is successful we would like to tackle more of the Southside. By the exit and by each bar is a model and layout of what we hope for the finished project to look like.” Toni smiled again as she her murmurs of approval. She locked eyes with Cheryl who shot her a thumbs up and blew her a kiss. “It is become daunting for Veronica and I to take on this alone which is why we came up with this event.” Toni looked up in the crowd again to catch Cheryl’s eye. This time Heather was at her side once more, slipping a hand around Cheryl’s waist, placing a drink in her hand and whispering something in her ear. Toni gripped the microphone tighter, channeling all her energy to not jump off the stage and drag Heather into the street by her hair. “We have invited many Serpents here tonight as well if you would like to get to know them and our mission. The Serpents are and have always been about community. I want to make sure we have the community that they deserve. If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to ask me, or my lovely partner Veronica, over there in the pearls.” Toni gestured to the raven haired girl standing near the front of the stage. “Now for the fun part of the evening, dancing will start once I get off the stage, the bars will be open all night, and as you leave please feel free to grab a brochure on the project complete with mine and Veronica’s contact information. Thank you all for coming.”

Toni grinned at the applause that met the conclusion of her speech but it quickly disappeared when she saw Heather was still attached to Cheryl. She tried to make her way over but she was stopped by excited investors who had questions to ask her based on what she had said. She did her best to politely answer the questions but her mind was fixated elsewhere. She watched as Cheryl kindly dodged Heather’s obvious advances but she was still trying nonetheless. Toni excused herself trying again to get over to the redhead.

“Cheryl, are you serious right now?” Toni said before she could stop it. She saw Heather step back and smirk to herself.

“Toni...I...she…” Cheryl said exasperated, trying to explain the situation.

“You know what, don’t even bother. Heather was right, I won’t ever be good enough for you will I? You’ll always go back to her like you have every.single.time.” Toni said, not being able to hold back the malice in her tone.

Cheryl’s mouth dropped at Toni’s accusation. “What are you talking about? What did she say to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, I saw all I needed to see and heard all I needed to hear tonight. I can’t do this right now. I have to smile and talk to people and pretend that everything is perfect. Excuse me.” Toni mumbled as she brushed past the two girls.

Toni blinked back tears as she made her way over to the Serpents. She was met with hugs and congratulations from them all. She bid her grandfather goodbye, he had only come to see her speech and he was growing tired. She angrily made her way over to the bar, needing a stiff drink after that speech and the drama with Cheryl.

“I thought no drinking tonight.” a voice said from behind her.

Toni turned slowly and was met with the mischievous smile of Veronica.

The pink haired girl shrugged. “Yeah well, that was my plan until I saw Heather and Cheryl all over each other.”

Veronica breathed out a laugh and shook her head. “You mean you saw Heather all over Cheryl?”

“What’s the difference?” Toni huffed.

“Toni...you are being so stubborn right now. Trust me. I have been here for the whole saga that is Heather. Cheryl wants nothing to do with her, she was probably just being polite. She can’t slap a bitch in the middle of your speech. I told you, I have never seen Cheryl this happy, don’t throw it away because of something a washed up, fake blonde, rich bitch said to you.”

Toni sighed heavily knowing Veronica was right. None of this was Cheryl’s fault. Toni was feeling jealous and insecure. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow, after the dust has settled.” the shorter girl promised.

Veronica nodded. “Good. Now let’s go dance and mingle with some investors.”

Toni laughed as Veronica dragged her to the dance floor. She danced to a few songs, trying her best to not dwell on Cheryl. She saw the redhead smiling and dancing with Jughead and Fangs, her heart could have melted at the sight. The music shifted to a slow song and the lights dimmed, leaving Toni standing awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor as everyone partnered up. She hung her head as she went to walk back towards the bar.

“Hi Toni.” a quiet voice called to her.

She didn’t even have to look up to know who it was. “Cheryl.” she answered simply as she lifted her head to look into the red heads soft brown eyes.

“Will you dance with me?” the taller girl asked softly.

Toni sighed and bit her lip in thought. She allowed Cheryl to place her arms around her neck, as hers fell to their familiar place on Cheryl’s waist.

“Toni..I know you are upset, but I have something for you.” Cheryl said as they swayed slowly to the music.

Ton arched an eyebrow in response.

“I know your mad at me but..” she removed one of her hands from Toni’s neck and handed her the thin key card to their hotel room. “I really hope that you will end your night with me.”

Toni took it carefully from Cheryl and turned the key over in her tanned hands, eyeing it and tossing the implications around in her mind.

“You don’t have to answer now but...that is where I will be.” Cheryl said, smiling softly. She gave Toni a lingering kiss to the cheek and made her way off the dance floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knowwwwwwww you all were expecting smut and I was hinting at that but I realized the chapter was getting wayyyy to busy and long. I didn't want to rush that. Obvi that will be the bulk of the next update. Sorrryyyyy for being a tease.


	17. About Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welll.. It's about time..I will leave it at that.
> 
> Smut warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, tis me again. Thank you to everyone who has kept up with this story, I am glad people dig it. I want to always start of by thanking my friend @lez_blossom for keepin me inspired and reading my chapters for me whenever I ask lol and calming me down when I nit pick stuff. This chapter has been a long time coming for theses two so hope y'all enjoy it somewhat. i pretty much have a rough outline on how I want this to end so there should be about 5 more chapters unless I change my mind. But there is plenty of other stuff up my sleeve. Check out @Lez_Blossom and I's cheer fic as well if you haven't and we have something planned after that too. Soooo enough of my rambling. Enjoy and feel free to talk to me on Twitter @Tonicheryltopaz , I don't bite.
> 
> Sorry for any typos or errors. The chapter is a bit on the shorter side but its basically all smut and that was the chapter focus lmao.

Toni watched Cheryl walk off the dance floor, a pit immediately forming in her stomach. She knew she had acted poorly. None of this was Cheryl’s fault, she was just trying to be the bigger person. Right now Toni felt about one inch tall. She looked around the room at the smiles on everyone’s faces.

People were having fun, people were smiling. She wrung her hands together and searched for Veronica. She spotted her towards the edge of the dance floor, her arms wrapped lazily around a handsome, redheaded man. Their foreheads were touching, peaceful smiles on both of their faces. 

Toni walked over and gave Veronica a gentle tap on the shoulder. The raven haired girl dropped her hands from around the man's neck to see who had poked her. 

“Toni!.” She said excitedly. “You have to meet my fiancé Archie, I’m so sorry I didn’t introduce you earlier, I didn’t want to overwhelm you.” 

Toni shook the redheads hand firmly. “Nice to meet you Archie.” She gave him a forced smile and pulled Veronica to the side. “Can you handle this without me for a bit ? I really need to go talk to Cheryl.”

Veronica gave her a knowing look. “Of course Toni. People are tipsy at this point, more chatty, more generous. I know how to work a room. Go talk to your girl, I’ll call you if I need you.” her dark eyes shined.

Toni nodded firmly. “Thanks Veronica, I’ll be back soon.”

******

Toni nervously tapped her foot in the elevator as it slowly rose to her destination. This was the time. It was now or never with Cheryl. If the girl wanted nothing to do with her, well she would have to understand. The elevator sounded, signaling the arrival and the door slid open. Toni ran out and hurried down the hallway to her room. She clutched the keycard Cheryl had given her tightly in her palm. Her hand shook slightly as she went to slide in it the door. It beeped in approval and clicked open.

Toni walked in the room slowly, a single light next to the bed was on, but other than that it was dark. She saw the figure of the redhead woman sitting on the bed facing the wall.

“Cheryl..” the pink haired girl whispered softly.

The taller girl stood up instantly and ran over to Toni, wrapping her in a firm embrace. “I’m so glad you came.”

Toni closed her eyes tightly, enjoying the moment while it lasted. “Cheryl..I’m so sorry. God...I’m so stupid.” she felt hot tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

Cheryl held onto her tighter as the shorter girls tears fell onto her pale skin. “Toni…. it’s okay” she said quietly.

Toni pulled away slowly and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “I just wanted everything to be perfect tonight… I had it all planned. I was so nervous, terrified…” her voice trailed off.

“For your speech.” Cheryl nodded knowingly.

Toni shook her head and took a deep breath. “No….for this.” She grabbed one of Cheryl’s hands and held it tightly. “Cheryl I… I’m falling for you. Bad. I think about you all the time, I miss you when you’re sitting right next to me, I get excited when I know you’re off work, my heart races when you text me, I look forward to our weekends on the Southside. These past two months although unconventional, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. You’ve taught me so much about myself. Tonight ...when I saw you and Heather I thought this moment would get taken away from me before I had the chance. I thought you’d see her and you’d realize that I couldn’t compare.” Toni said softly.

Cheryl listened attentively, her heart breaking at the thought of Toni hurting. “Toni.. I…”

“You don’t have to say anything right now, I know it’s a lot.” The pink haired girl admitted.

Cheryl let go of Toni’s hand and cupped her tanned cheek gently. “I won't speak on it now if that’s what you wish but … please… let me show you how bad I want you. How much you mean to me.” She searched Toni’s brown eyes for an answer.

Toni’s mouth turned upward as she brought her thumb up to Cheryl’a smooth, plump lips and ran it across her bottom lip. She stared into Cheryl’s brown eyes as she grazed her thumb back and forth slowly. She saw Cheryl’s eyes darken as she felt her thumb being sucked into Cheryl’s warm mouth, her tongue gliding over Toni's thumb slowly. Toni felt a switch go off in her as she grabbed Cheryl by the hips and pushed her against the wall, connecting their lips without hesitation. 

Cheryl allowed the kiss to continue for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed between the wall and the shorter girl who was now reaching for the zipper of Cheryl’s dress. She grabbed Toni’s hand firmly and promptly turned the pair before the pink haired girl could think twice.

Toni blinked in surprise with her back now pressed firmly to the wall she just had the redhead pinned too. 

“I said...I want to show you how bad... I want you.” Cheryl said breathily as she ran a finger up and down Toni’s jaw.

Toni closed her eyes and bit on her lower lip as she realized where Cheryl was going with this. “Then show me baby.” Toni grinned as she watched Cheryl’s mouth turn into a mischievous grin.

Cheryl reached behind Toni to search for the zipper of her dress. She grasped it between her long fingers and began lowering it, her hands shaking slightly.

“Don’t be nervous.” Toni whispered as she planted a kiss to Cheryl’s neck.

Cheryl nodded and let Toni’s dress fall on its own and watched as it pooled onto the floor. Cheryl smirked to herself at Toni’s newly exposed skin. She was standing against the wall left in black, lace panties and her heels. The redhead let her eyes start at the heels and moved them up slowly to Toni’s tanned thighs, her toned stomach, her full breasts, the soft skin of her neck, her plumps lips, and finally, those dark eyes.

Toni’s heart beat against her ribcage as she watched Cheryl’s eyes explore her body. The shorter girl leaned down to remove her heels when she felt a warm hand close around her wrist.

“Keep them on.” Cheryl said huskily as Toni’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Whatever you want babe.” the pink haired girl smirked. 

Cheryl let go of Toni’s wrist and cupped her cheek gently as she brought her in for a quick kiss. She brought a pale hand down to Toni’s neck and wrapped her fingers around it gently as she titled the pink haired girls head back. She brought her lips down the skin of Toni’s collarbone and grazed her teeth on it delicately as she pressed lightly on the shorter girls pulse point. 

Toni moaned at the action as she felt herself grow wet at every sensation that Cheryl was providing her. Her hips bucked subconsciously from the wall as she felt the pressure increase slightly on her pulse point and she felt Cheryl smirk against her skin.

“Go to the bed.” the redhead ordered as she removed her hands and lips from the shorter girl.

Toni walked towards the bed her mind already in a fog. The other girl had barely touched her and she was already dripping and short of breath. She sat down on the soft mattress as she watched Cheryl remove her own dress as well. “You are a masterpiece.” Toni breathed as Cheryl removed her bra and panties, leaving her completely exposed to the shorter girl.

Cheryl’s face flushed red at the compliment as she made her way over to the bed. “Lay down.” 

Toni laid down in the middle of the bed as Cheryl wasted no time in situating herself on top of the pink haired girl. Toni hands immediately placed themselves on Cheryl’s waist as they moved slowly towards the backside she had been admiring for weeks. Before they could reach their destination, Cheryl had them pinned above Toni’s head. Toni blinked in shock at Cheryl’s swiftness and strength. “You are full of surprises Bombshell.”

“You have no idea.” the redhead purred in response as she connected their lips in a kiss, Toni’s hands still pinned firmly over her head. The kiss grew heated quickly as Cheryl slid her tongue in Toni’s mouth as her other free hand moved down to Toni’s breasts. She took one in her hand and squeezed roughly as Toni moaned into her mouth. Cheryl broke away from Toni’s lips with a pop and removed her hand from Toni’s wrist. “Keep them up there.” she instructed as she sat up, still straddling the shorter girls waist. 

Cheryl took both her hands and ran them slowly up Toni’s stomach as she grabbed a breast with each hand, squeezing them greedily as she watched Toni’s eyes shut with pleasure. The redhead leaned down slowly, brushing her long red hair over her shoulder as she took one of Toni’s nipples in her mouth, still squeezing her other breast. As soon as her teeth grazed Toni’s nipple the shorter girls back was arching off the bed, eliciting a gasp of surprise from the redhead.

“Fuck Cheryl.” Toni whined as the redhead soothed the bud with her tongue.

Cheryl removed her mouth from Toni’s breast and sat back up, staring at Toni’s lust filled eyes. “Someone is getting worked up…” she murmured as her pale fingers began toying with Toni’s lace panties. 

“Take them off.” Toni said quickly as Cheryl’s fingers dipped under the band teasingly.

“Soon.” she promised as she leaned down to plant kisses on Toni’s stomach. “I have been waiting for this.”

“Me too.” Toni said as she writhed beneath the redhead, growing wetter by the second. She relished the feeling of Cheryl’s lips on her skin but she needed relief, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her whole body on fire, her breaths coming out in short, rapid pants. No one had ever had this kind of effect on her, to the point where she would do just about anything to have Cheryl where she needed her most. She removed her hands from above her head and tangled her hands into fiery red hair, pulling at the roots gently. 

Cheryl’s head shot up from Toni’s stomach and pinned her hands back again. “I recall telling you to keep your hands there.” she said, cocking her head.

“God...Cheryl please..I can’t take it anymore.” Toni whined as her hips bucked up again. “I need you please.”

Cheryl’s eyes softened at Toni’s pleas. She kept her eyes locked on the pink haired girls chocolate ones as she finally began to remove the last piece of fabric that Toni so desperately wanted gone. She moved them slowly down her thighs, passed her knees, and finally over her heels and threw them to the side. She eyed Toni’s glistening center hungrily as she swiped a finger through her folds testing the wetness. Her eyebrows rose in shock as she gathered more arousal on her index finger. “Open your mouth.” she instructed to the shorter girl.

Toni parted her lips slightly as she watched Cheryl’s eyes shine with satisfaction. 

Cheryl brought her index finger up to Toni’s lips and slid it into her mouth gently. She moaned quietly as Toni’s plump lips closed around her finger, sucking her own arousal off slowly. “God..I can’t wait to taste you.” Cheryl whispered as she removed her finger from Toni’s mouth.

“Please…” Toni whined again, begging for anything at this point.

Cheryl figured that Toni had been patient enough as she brought her fingers down to Toni’s clit and pressed firmly. She smirked to herself as she heard the loudest moan yet from Toni as she moved the pads of her fingers in slow circles. She attached her lips to Toni’s neck and sucked softly as the pace of her fingers increased. 

Toni bit her bottom lip trying to suppress her moans, but it was no use. The feelings of Cheryl’s plump lips sucking on her neck and her fingers working feverishly on her clit had her already seeing stars. She felt her body heat up as her body arched further into Cheryl’s touch,

“What do you need baby?” Cheryl asked as she kept up the pace of her fingers.

“Your mouth…” Toni managed to breathe out.

Cheryl broke away from Toni’s neck and planted a firm kiss to her pink lips. She kissed her way back down Toni’s perfect body. Down her neck, through the valley of her breasts, over her stomach, and finally. She removed her fingers from Toni’s clit and replaced it with a firm lick of her tongue. Toni’s hands immediately twisted into Cheryl’s hair, firmly holding her head in place. Cheryl moaned as Toni tugged on her hair, causing pleasant vibrations to radiate through Toni’s core. 

Toni eyes screwed shut as Cheryl sucked on her clit and teased her entrance with her finger.

“Look at me.” Cheryl said as she took her mouth off Toni’s clit.

Toni whimpered as she felt Cheryl’s finger slid into her with no effort. “More.” 

“Keep your eyes on me and I will give you more.” Cheryl said sweetly as she moved her finger into Toni slowly.

“Okay.” Toni agreed as she watched Cheryl remove her finger from her dripping center

The redhead brought her finger up to her plump lips and sucked off Toni’s arousal before she quickly plunged two fingers into the pink haired girl before she could think twice. Toni’s back immediately snapped off the bed and Cheryl was quick to push her hips back down as she began to attack her clit with her tongue as her fingers continued to move in and out of the shorter girl. Cheryl curled her fingers into Toni as she looked up to make sure Toni was still looking at her. 

Toni had her eyes locked to Cheryl’s as her lips parted in ecstasy, already close to her impending orgasm. She threaded her hands back into Cheryl’s hair as she prepared for the release she had been dreaming about for the past few weeks.

Cheryl’s fingers and tongue moved in perfect synchronization, pulling moan after moan from the pink haired girls mouth. After a few more thrusts Toni was gone. She clenched greedily around Cheryl’s fingers and her thighs closed around Cheryl’s head as she rode out her high. Cheryl slowed down her thrusts and removed her tongue from Toni’s clit as the shorter girl breathed heavily beneath her. She withdrew her fingers slowly and placed a gentle kiss to Toni’s parted lips.

“That….that was welll worth the wait Bombshell.” Toni breathed, trying to compose herself.

“Plenty more where the came from.” Cheryl responded as she leaned down to kiss Toni’s neck again.

“Not so fast.” Toni said as she quickly flipped the pair, eliciting a sheik of surprise from the redhead. “You had your fun with me...it’s my turn.”

Cheryl lips curled into a smile, her mind racing at what Toni had planned for her. 

Toni settled herself on Cheryl’s waist, staring down at the sight in front of her. “You are so beautiful Cheryl.” she said as she ran her fingers up and down the taller girls body, creating goosebumps in their path. “Where to begin with you…” she said softly as her hands planted themselves on either side of Cheryl’s head. “I could kiss those lips all night..we already know that.” Toni declared as she leaned down to sink her teeth into Cheryl’s bottom lip. She pulled slightly, drawing a grunt of approval from the redhead. Toni released the redheads lip as she began kissing and sucking on her pale neck. She took her time running her lips along the smooth skin of Cheryl’s neck until she reached her pulse point. She smirked to herself when she felt it racing under her lips as she sucked particularly harshly. Cheryl whimpered as she gripped onto Toni’s shoulders, digging her nails into the tanned skin. Toni broke herself away from Cheryl’s neck and focused her attention on her breasts.

Toni grinned to herself as she lowered her hands to Cheryl’s breast and squeezed until she saw Cheryl’s eyes shut with pleasure. She leaned down to take a nipple into her mouth and sucked gently as she rolled the nipple of the other breast between her fingers. She went back and forth between each breast until Cheryl’s whimpers became desperate. The shorter girl brought herself back to Cheryl’s plump lips and began to kiss her sensually, moaning at the feeling of their breasts pressed against one another.

“I’m going to make you cum so hard baby….” Toni whispered into the redheads ear as she moved her hand slowly down between Cheryl’s breast and over the flat plain of her stomach. She made direct contact with the redheads clit, not wanting to waste anymore time. She pressed into it with the pads of her fingers with a pleasurable force that had Cheryl moaning instantly. She removed her hand just as quick as she had placed it and moved down Cheryl’s body so she was situated comfortably between Cheryl’s thighs. 

Cheryl shivered with anticipation as Toni’s tongue peeked out to wet her lips. She laced her long fingers until pink locks as Toni’s tongue made contact with her clit. The loudest moan of the night slipped from Cheryl’s lips as Toni sucked her clit into her mouth.

“Fuck Toni...that’s...fuck that feels so good.” Cheryl said, closing her eyes and taking in the sensations of Toni’s tongue. So warm, so wet, and so perfect. Knowing exactly what to do to have the the taller girls head spinning.

Toni continued the assault with her tongue as she carefully inserted two fingers into Cheryl’s center. She quickly pressed her other hand to Cheryl’s hips to keep them on the bed. “You’re so wet babe.” Toni said as she continued to pump her fingers slowly into Cheryl.

The redhead let out an exasperated breath, not being able to find words to respond.

Toni arched an eyebrow and withdrew her fingers from Cheryl and sat up from her place between the taller girls legs. “Turn over for me.” Toni said sweetly as she watched Cheryl’s eyes widened slightly as her lips curled into a smirk.

The redhead sat up and turned herself over so her head was facing the headboard as she waited for Toni’s next move.

Toni’s hands immediately grabbed Cheryl’s backside, squeezing the flesh roughly. “You are...so...sexy.” Toni wriggled a hand under Cheryl’s stomach and lifted slightly to help her get up on her knees. “Good girl.” Toni praised as Cheryl situated herself so her ass was pressed to Toni’s front.

Toni took a moment to enjoy her view as she ran her hand slowly up Cheryl’s spine to her pale neck. Her hand disappeared into red locks as she pulled gently, earning a moan from Cheryl. Toni rubbed Cheryl’s ass with her other hand, admiring silently to herself. She thrusted her two fingers back into Cheryl’s center as she tugged on her hair. She began a steady rhythm, thrusting into the redhead, determined to make her cum.

She leaned forward and began placing kisses up and down Cheryl’s sweat soaked back, the saltiness settling on her tongue. She kissed up to her shoulder and placed gentle bites were her shoulder met her neck. Cheryl panted beneath her, her body throbbing with arousal. Toni’s fingers hitting her spot, her teeth sinking into her shoulder, and her pulling her hair had her mind and body in overdrive. A few more thrusts of Toni’s fingers and Cheryl was screaming her name, giving into the pleasure from the pink haired girl. 

Toni slowed her thrusts as Cheryl came down and untangled her hand from red hair. She carefully removed her fingers and placed them quickly into her mouth, sucking off Cheryl’s arousal.

“Toni Topaz….” Cheryl panted. “Lay the fuck back down.”

Toni giggled as Cheryl pounced on her, completely forgetting about the party downstairs.

*****

Cheryl awoke the next morning feeling on top of the world. Her and Toni had spent hours in their hotel bed giving each other orgasm after orgasm until exhaustion took over. She rolled over and found Toni’s bare back to her, faint scratches still present on her skin. Cheryl bit her lip, already getting turned on by the sight.

She traced her fingers along Toni’s back, enjoying the feeling of her skin under her fingertips. Toni groaned in her sleep and rolled over so she was facing Cheryl. Her eyes opened slowly, softening when she saw the redhead.

“Good morning you.” she giggled.

“Good morning Toni.” Cheryl smirked as her eyes fell to a hickey on Toni’s neck.

“Did you have fun last night?” Toni asked honestly, searching Cheryl’s face for a response.

“I...had...the time of my life.” Cheryl proclaimed as she captured Toni’s lips in a soft kiss.

“The time of your life huh?” the pink haired girl asked coyly.

“Mmmhmm.” Cheryl responded as she buried her face into Toni’s neck.

“I’m sorry again about everything.” Toni said, her tone turning serious.

“I don’t want to talk about it Toni, let us have this moment.” Cheryl argued.

“Okay...but you understand why I acted the way I did, right?” Toni probed.

Cheryl lifted her head out of the crook of Toni’s neck and looked into her eyes. “You were afraid of losing me...but you’re not going to Toni.” she pledged.

Toni sighed heavily. “I know….it did make me think though..”

“About?” Cheryl asked curiously.

“About what we are...I stepped in as your girlfriend, you have stepped in as my girlfriend to that girl at the bar...technically we are married..but technically we are nothing..” Toni explained.

Cheryl continued to stare at her intently, her mind knowing where Toni might be going with this. “And…? What does that mean?”

“It means...I want to...to be your something…” Toni mumbled, her eyes averting down shyly.

“I want to be your something too…” Cheryl’s voice trailed off.

Toni’s lips curled upwards into a smile. “Cheryl...will you be my girlfriend? For real this time.” 

“I’d love nothing more.” Cheryl promised, cupping Toni’s cheek gently. 


	18. I Love That About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut Warning   
TW for mentions of suicidal ideation and an implied suicide attempt. Also brief mentions of physical abuse and death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. Check out the summary for some warnings about this chapter. It is on the shorter side but I felt like I said all I needed to say for this go around. We are nearing the end so I only have a few more major things I want to cover.Thanks for sticking around with the story. It makes me super emo that people actually like it and a CC this week prompted me to reflect on it lol. This story also gave me my best friend who (thank you again for reading for me) and I am forever grateful for that. If this story doesn't bring me anything it at least did that. Hit me up on Twitter with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the chapter @tonicheryltopaz. Again, apologize about the length but it felt right haha. Catch ya on the flip side. Also stay tuned, I am going to being putting up an angsty af one shot sometime here this week if you like getting your heart shattered for no apparent reason.🙃 . Lastly, sorry for any errors or typos, I try my best to avoid them.

After brunch Sunday morning at the Five Seasons with Veronica, Archie, and a few of the Serpents who had stayed at the hotel overnight, Toni was anxious to get Cheryl back to the trailer. After last night and finally putting a title to what they had, Toni was ready for more alone time. Smithers dropped them off at Toni’s trailer after the brunch and the girls headed inside.

“I’m exhausted.” Cheryl proclaimed as she threw herself down on the couch.

“Girlfriend status means my bed, with me.” Toni smiled as she grabbed Cheryl’s hand to pull her up.

“Let me shower and I will join you for a well deserved nap, you kept me up late.” Cheryl yawned.

Toni’s eyes widened humorously. “I kept you up? I seem to remember a certain someone getting rather bossy last night...what was that you said ummm ‘I’m gonna make you scream until your voice is gone’ or ‘I know you can cum one more time baby’? Sound familiar?” Toni chuckled.

Cheryl smirked at the memory. “Mmmm..maybe but are you complaining?”

“Never. Baby. Now shower so we take a nap.” Toni said, watching Cheryl strip as she entered the bathroom.

Toni smirked to herself, more than happy with how things were turning out. As she waited for the redhead she stripped off her clothes as well sitting naked at the top of her bed, with her back resting against the headboard. She felt her mind wander almost immediately, images of last night flashing in her head. She could still feel the sensations of Cheryl’s hands on her body, she could still feel her lips tracing her skin, her ears still buzzed with the memory of every moan and whimper from Cheryl’s mouth. She felt herself grow wet at the thought.

Her eyes glanced to the bathroom door, the shower was still running. The pink haired girl closed her eyes slowly, running her fingertips down her own neck and through the valley of her breasts. She slid her thumb over a nipple as she made her descent down her stomach, immediately circling her clit with the pads of her fingers. She bit her lip gently, closing her eyes tighter as she applied more pressure, hips bucking up slightly for more friction. She thought of the redhead, laying between her legs, her tongue lapping at her center, and felt herself grow wetter with each second. She gathered her arousal of her fingertips and brought them back up to her clit, rubbing it faster as images of Cheryl flashed in her head. She was so into the moment she didn’t hear the shower shutting off and the bathroom door opening. She felt her orgasm building when she noticed the pressure of someone sitting down on the mattress next to her.

She felt soft fingers wrap around her wrist that was moving diligently between her legs. She opened her eyes to Cheryl, fresh out of the shower, looking at her with dark and curious eyes. Toni smiled mischievously as the pace of her hand slowed down.

“Don’t stop on my account.” Cheryl purred as she brought her lips down the Toni’s neck, sucking the skin roughly.

Toni grunted at the action and continued the movements on her clit. She felt the buildup come right back, the fire in her stomach becoming more intense as Cheryl brought her lips to Toni’s ear and one of her hands to Toni’s breast. 

The redhead squeezed roughly as her hot breath hit Toni’s ear. “Cum for me Toni, make yourself cum for me.” she encouraged.

The moment the words fell off Cheryl’s tongue, Toni reached her climax, moaning loudly into the room. “Damn Cheryl.” Toni laughed as she caught her breath. “That was...that was hot.”

“Indeed.” Cheryl smirked.

Toni pushed Cheryl up gently off her body, placed her hands on her hips and turned her around so that the redhead’s back was pressed against her breasts, and her head was laying back against a tanned shoulder. 

Toni began slowly running her hands up and down Cheryl’s body, avoiding her breasts, and stopping just above where Cheryl needed her most. Toni continued this for a few moments, moving her hands up and down slowly, circling around Cheryl’s nipples with fingertips, but not making direct contact. Toni could feel the taller girls body heat up against her. She smirked when she felt Cheryl shift trying to apply some sort of pressure between her legs.

“Not yet baby.” Toni whispered, teeth grazing over Cheryl’s ear. “A few more moments.” she breathed as the palms of her hands finally ghosted over the redheads nipples. 

Cheryl breathed in relief as she bit back a moan at the feeling of Toni’s hands finally closing around her breasts and squeezing deliciously. “Fuck..” she mumbled as Toni’s hands continued downwards, ghosting over her stomach, still avoiding her center. The shorter girl began massaging pale thighs gently.

Toni smirked as she heard and felt Cheryl’s breathing increase, clearly needing to be touched. She finally brought a finger to Cheryl’s entrance, teasing it and gathering arousal. Toni’s mouth fell open when she felt how wet the redhead was. “Baby…..you are...dripping” she whispered in her ear as she moved her finger to Cheryl’s clit, rubbing, slow, gentle circles.

“You’ve been teasing me for an hour.” Cheryl whined, bucking her hips up into Toni’s hand.

“More like five minutes.” Toni chuckled as she pressed down firmly on the redheads clit.

Cheryl’s back arched off of Toni’s chest as she chased the sensations Toni was giving her. She bit her plump bottom lip, trying to bite back her moans.

Toni was having none of that as she lowered two fingers to the redheads entrance, and slid them in easily. “Don’t hold back Cheryl, it's just us here and I want to hear you...actually...I need to hear you,” she whispered, earning her a loud moan from the taller girl. Toni began thrusting into the redhead at a pace that had Cheryl grounding her hips down to meet Toni’s thrusts.

“Toni….” Cheryl whined. “Keep going, that feels so good.”

Toni smirked as she moved her thumb to place it on Cheryl’s clit while her fingers worked dutifully inside her.

Cheryl whined pleasurably as Toni skillfully built her up, her release close.

A few more moments and a few rotations of Toni’s thumb, Cheryl was clenching around her fingers and moaning into the bedroom.

Toni held Cheryl gently against her chest as she came down, and gently removed her fingers.  “I….will….never...ever...ever get tired of that.”

Cheryl breathed raggedly, trying to catch her breath. She spoke with a smile. “I don’t think I will either.”

****

After their late morning rendezvous, both girls fell asleep, wrapped up in each others arms. Cheryl awoke, her body still lit up from Toni’s touch. She felt Toni’s bare skin against hers, but she had to resist the temptation. Now that things with Toni were becoming serious, she knew it was time to share more with the pink haired girl. Toni had bared her soul to the redhead, it was only fair to return the favor. She gently nudged the shorter girl awake, wanting to do this before they had to head back to the city.

“Toni.” she whispered, shaking her slightly.

Toni opened her eyes sleepily, a smile appearing on her lips when she saw Cheryl naked in her bed. “Don’t bother putting on clothes today babe.” she chuckled.

Cheryl gave her a soft smile but poked her gently in the ribs in fake reprimand. “Actually….I was hoping I could take you somewhere.”

Toni sat up curiously, waiting for Cheryl to explain.

“My childhood place...I want to share more with you..I want to show you..if you want.” Cheryl said, her voice shaking slightly.

Toni grasped one of Cheryl’s hands in her own. “Of course Cheryl, I would love nothing more. Do you want to head there now?”

Cheryl nodded as she got out of bed to get dressed. “We can take your bike, it’s not far.”

Toni nodded happily, enjoying the fact that Cheryl was becoming more comfortable on the back of her bike. “You got in Bombshell.” she jumped out of bed to get ready as well.

****

Cheryl directed Toni, gently tapping her on leather covered shoulders when she had to make a turn. The drive was only about ten minutes from the Southside. Toni’s bike rumbled to a stop on an overlook of Sweetwater River.

She parked safely against the guardrail and helped Cheryl get her helmet off. “Sweetwater River?” Toni asked curiously. She had been there many times while growing up in Riverdale. There was shoreline closer to the Southside where she would hang around.

Cheryl nodded in confirmation, “There’s a trail over here, we can get to the shore.” The redhead grabbed for Toni’s hand and led her to the trail.

Toni followed, her boots padding on the dirt while she followed the redhead.

They got down to the shoreline, and Cheryl sat them down on a rock near the water. She inhaled deeply, shaking in fear as Toni sat down next to her.

“Are you okay?” Toni asked carefully, seeing how nervous the other girl appeared.

“I will be.” she responded.

Toni crossed her legs and faced the redhead, she waited for her to begin.

“Jason and I used to come here…” Cheryl started talking, her voice still small.

Toni smiled at the mention of his name. “Your brother.”

Cheryl nodded. “Yes..he uh...he actually passed away.”

Toni felt her stomach drop, she knew there was something up, but she just thought Cheryl didn’t speak to her family. Her heart broke at the thought of Cheryl losing a sibling, let alone her twin. “Cheryl...I’m…”

Cheryl held her hand up gently. “I know you’re sorry Toni, but you didn’t know. I left things vague for a reason.”

Toni looked down sadly. “I can understand that.”

“We came here all the time when we were young. We’d swim, skip rocks, sit on this exact rock and talk, or sometimes we even would bring our rowboat out.” the redhead continued. “Jason was my..my saving grace in a way. We were twins, the only children in the family but yet I was the outsider most of the time.” 

Toni nodded as she remembered some of the stories the Cheryl shared in Vegas. The feelings of not being good enough, the physical abuse she dealt with at the hands of her parents.

“Jason was due to take over the family business, my name was on it too of course, but I was the ‘face’.” Cheryl explained. “My father, he used me to close the deal at times per se….”

Toni’s eyes widened with shock at what Cheryl was hinting at.

Cheryl noticed this and quickly backtracked. “I never did anything like that..what you are thinking...but I did have to use charm, seduction, and my appearance to assist the company. I had to carry my weight…”

Toni reached over and placed her hand on Cheryl’s knee. “And your mother? She didn’t think that was messed up?”

A laugh slipped from Cheryl’s mouth. “Oh Toni. She didn’t think I was good looking enough, always telling me to change something. Too much stomach fat, arms not toned enough, a hair out of place, you know the typical loving mother comments.” she rolled her brown eyes.

Toni felt her stomach burn with rage. “God Cheryl, how can anyone not see that you are the most beautiful person on this earth.” she said sincerely.

Cheryl blushed at Toni's statement. “Anyways, I won’t bore you with those details. Just know. She was less than loving. Part of the reason why I was magnetized to any nice thing Heather said to me, even if it was for her own advantage, it was nice to hear compliments.”

Toni’s chest tightened again, how could anyone not see what an amazing person the redhead was.

“Jason’s death was unexpected..that’s what made it so hard…” Cheryl’s voice trailed off. “Blossom Maple Syrup is all over the East Coast. We have prime distribution here. Over time, we have gotten distribution in the South, parts of the Midwest, but nothing on the West Coast.”

Toni peered at Cheryl curiously as she spoke.

“After years of meetings and my father pitching to distributors on the West Coast, he finally landed an opportunity for negotiation.” Cheryl explained. “Naturally, he wanted me to go with him, to help close the deal. I was less than pleased but I knew what had to be done. I didn’t want to let anyone down.” Cheryl looked down and blinked back tears. “The night before we were due to leave I fell ill. Very ill. My dad thought I was faking, but I had my best dress packed and everything.” her voice shook at the memory. “They called in our family doctor who did confirm that I was sick and should not be traveling.”

Toni shifted nervously on the rock and gripped Cheryl’s knee tighter.

“Jason offered to take my spot, he had a whole pitch planned anyway. He had all the numbers right, the talking points memorized, plus if he was going to be the main one in charge down the line, it made sense….but….it should have been me.”

Toni gulped, starting to piece together where this was going.

“It happened right when they got there...in the rental car heading to the hotel. Struck on the passenger side.” Cheryl sniffled. “It should have been me…” she sobbed into her hands.

Toni immediately sprung into action, pulling Cheryl into a tight embrace. She just held her, stroking her head gently with her hand. 

“I know I was sick and everything happens for a reason and all that…” Cheryl explained. “But...the first thing my mother told me after she told me Jason was gone was that it should have been me…” she choked on her tears. “And I believed her. She loved him so much..I love him so much..I started to hate myself so much more after that”

Toni’s heart broke in two, aching at what the redhead had to endure. “God Cheryl...you have to know she’s wrong...please…” Toni begged as she began sobbing as well.

Cheryl took a deep breath in. “I...I am understanding better now...but the months following were dark. Heather was less than supportive, not understanding my behavior or need to grieve. My parents became more bitter by the day, obviously provoking my desire to leave the company behind. After I gave up my fortune is when Heather wrote that article I told you about…” Cheryl explained. “It all...it all just became too much.”

Toni watched Cheryl through her tears, not able to bear much more.

“I came here...one day. I don’t know why. I wanted answers, I wanted closure, I wanted to be with Jason. I wanted to tell him I was sorry. I wanted the hurt to stop.” Cheryl whimpered.

Toni couldn’t stop the cry that came out of her mouth. “Cheryl….”

The redhead grabbed for Toni’s hand and placed it on her heart as she spoke. “I wanted it to end.” she admitted. “I got this far...and I called Veronica. She had always been good to me. I wanted to tell her goodbye. I was cryptic but somehow she picked up on it. She convinced me to let her meet me here. From that day on, she's been by my side. She’s been in my corner. She helped me pick up the pieces, she is the best friend that I could ever ask for.” Cheryl explained.

Toni’s tears continued to fall as Cheryl spoke.

“I went to therapy, I got a job, I focused on school, and she gave me a place to stay. I owe my life to her. I still lived with that edge though, lashing out at anyone else that I would encounter. The protective walls, the cold exterior. That is...until I met you…” she confessed.

Toni pushed gently into Cheryl’s chest, needing to feel her heartbeat against her palm.

“You have showed me a lighter part of life. When you tell me things...I believe you. You are sincere and you are passionate. You are carefree, but yet so serious at the same time...and..I love that about you.” the redhead confessed.

Toni’s ear perked up. “You...you love that about me?

Cheryl nodded. “I really do. I owe you my life too.”

Toni shook her head. “No..there’s no debt to me. I want to be whoever you want me to be. I want to be with you. You are sensational, complex, and intelligent. You make me want to be better. I want to be around you all the time and...I love that about you.” Toni smirked.

“You love that about me?” Cheryl questioned playfully.

Toni stared into Cheryl’s brown eyes, seeing an adoration so potent that it made her heart skip a beat. “I love you Cheryl.” she breathed.

“I love you too.” Cheryl responded without hesitation. “How could I not?”

Toni rocked side to side with Cheryl tucked tightly in her arms. “Thank you for sharing that with me Cheryl, I know this shit is hard, but I promise you that I will never let you feel alone..ever. I love you and fuck everyone who ever made you think that you are not loved.”

“Thank you for coming with me Toni...it feels good to tell someone else.” Cheryl said sincerely. “Gabby is going to so proud of us.” she giggled, trying to lighten the mood.

“That she is.” Toni agreed. “You want to sit here awhile?”

Cheryl nodded. “If you don’t mind.”

“I’d sit anywhere with you.” Toni smiled.

“One more thing Toni…” Cheryl’s voice drifted.

Toni arched an eyebrow in response.

“Remember that day a couple months ago where I bit your head off for calling me Cher?” the redhead asked.

Toni thought back to the moment, remembering it vividly. “I do.”

“It’s only because Jason used to call me that...but...if you’d like to you can…” Cheryl said softly. “I mean...I would like for you to..if you ever get the inkling again.”

Toni closed her eyes and buried her face in red hair. “I’d be honored ...Cher.”

Cheryl angled her head so that she could find Toni’s lips. She gave them a gentle kiss. “I love you Toni.”


	19. Afternoon Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl's List :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy. Kind of a filler chapter but needed nonetheless. Final chapters coming soon. Thank you for reading. Sorry for any errors or typos.

**1 month later**

Toni laid on Cheryl’s bed flipping through a spiral notebook of neatly written class notes. Her beautiful, redheaded girlfriend was sitting up next to her, a pen bitten between her teeth.

“I don’t know the answer to that one Toni, can you grab my notecards off my desk? I want to switch gears.” Cheryl asked, exhaustion in her tone.

Toni got up happily to fetch the notecards. It was nearing time for finals and Cheryl was as stressed as ever. The redhead was also trying to get ready for Veronica’s real Bachelorette party in Italy which was coming up quickly. Toni was doing anything in her power to keep Cheryl at ease, including helping her study. Toni liked helping her, her intelligence made her fall for her even more. Seeing her lip pout out while she thought of an answer, tapping her index finger on her chin delicately as if it would conjure the information immediately. The pink haired girl found it endearing.

She rummaged through a pile of papers on Cheryl’s desk as she searched for the notecards. A small piece of paper scribbled with red ink caught her attention. She glanced at it curiously.

**Cheryl’s Caring Day List**

  * **Morning Workout**
  * Read aloud a chapter of a book
  * Pick me up from work for lunch
  * Cook a meal with me
  * Paint with me
  * Back massage 
  * Spa night
  * “I miss you” text
  * Stay up talking about mundane things
  * Kiss goodnight

She smiled victoriously at the timing. Now was the perfect time for her to carry this out for Cheryl. She carefully pocketed it and grabbed her notecards.

“Found em babe.” Toni said as she plopped back down on the mattress.

Cheryl smiled and laid down next to the shorter girl. “Thank you...but I’m tired of studying…” she pouted out her plump bottom lip, her eyes dropping down to Toni’s pink lips.

Ton smirked knowing where she was going with this. “No way Cher...as much as I always want you...you have to study.”

Cheryl folded her arms and stuck her lip out further. “Just one kiss?” she batted her eyelashes.

Toni rolled her eyes playfully and connected her lips to Cheryl’s in a sweet kiss, pulling away quickly. “There.”

Cheryl huffed in annoyance.

“I’m just trying to help you babe.” Toni giggled as she pulled Cheryl against her body. “You know I can’t resist you...but I also know how important school is to you, and you are almost done.” Toni insisted gently.

“I know, I know. Just five minutes?” Cheryl tried one more time.

“Fine. Five minutes.” Toni responded by connecting their lips once more. Their lips moved familiarly against one another. After a month of becoming official the two had ended most nights in Cheryl’s bed, or Toni’s trailer, not able to get enough of one another. 

Cheryl threw a leg over Toni so she was now straddling the shorter girl, sliding her tongue into her eager mouth, earning a moan at the action.

“Hey guys….” A sweet voice called, walking into the open door. “Whoa, my bad.” Veronica said as she eyed the pair. “I...I’m sorry the door was open.”

“It’s okay.” Toni said, gently rolling Cheryl off her body. “Cheryl needs to be studying anyways.”

Veronica gave the duo a mischievous smile. “Ugh, I just love you two together.”

“How can we help you Veronica?” Cheryl asked uninterested.

“You’re always pouting.” Veronica chuckled. “But, Toni we finally got final numbers and confirmation from all the investors...if you have a moment.”

Toni sat up excitedly as she patted the bed for Veronica to sit. Her stomach flipped with nerves. From the initial numbers, things looked good, but there was a period of time for people to back out. She bit her lip nervously while Veronica opened her laptop.

Veronica clicked on the mouse until she found what she was looking for. She angled the screen so Toni could see as well. “So...there were a few people who wrote us checks on the spot the night of the gala.” Veronica began to explain. “Those ended up adding up to $100,000.”

Toni smiled excitedly, happy with any amount at all, but she saw a brief look of disappointment on Veronica’s face. “Is...is that not good?”

Veronica exhaled through pursed lips. “It’s not bad...but remember we have many buildings that need complete remodels, this will only probably cover one..but..we do have probably another $150,000 coning from the investors I talked to today, we should have their checks within the week.” she explained. The raven haired girl could see the hurt on Toni’s face. “Toni, this is a great start, we can do a dent with this. When the time comes we will reevaluate and go from there, ok? Let’s celebrate the victories.”

Toni nodded. “You’re right, it is more than I could have imagined, I am glad the Southside is getting positive attention. I will make sure the Serpents continue to promote that.”

Veronica closed her laptop with a satisfied smile. “Congratulations Antoinette, this is only just the beginning.”

Toni laid back down when Veronica exited the room.

“You okay baby?” Cheryl asked as she ran her hand through pink locks.

Toni smiled sincerely. “I am. I am proud of what we did and I refuse to feel anything but that.”

Cheryl planted a kiss on the shorter girls cheek. “You should be proud my love, now where were we…” she placed her body back on top of Toni’s and reconnected their lips in a passionate kiss.

“Close the door.” Toni mumbled against the redhead’s lips.

Cheryl hopped off Toni with a giggle and slammed the door closed.

*****

Toni waited a couple of days to broach the subject of Cheryl’s list, wanting to wait until the girl had a better grasp on her studying.

“Hey Cher?” Toni asked on a Thursday night while cuddling in front of the TV.

“Yes babe?” Cheryl asked as she ran her fingers along the exposed skin of Toni’s exposed thighs.

“You have finals in two weeks...and then Italy not too long after that..” Toni began. “I was wondering if tomorrow I could do your list for you, a nice Friday treat.” she offered with a toothy grin.

Cheryl stopped the movement of her fingers so she could look Toni directly in the eyes, cupping her cheek gently. “That...would be perfect Toni.” she planted a kiss to her lips to seal the deal.

“Great! I want to take care of you before things get too hectic, we can just go to the Southside Saturday morning.” Toni said lightly.

“It’s perfect timing my love, thank you for thinking of me.” Cheryl smiled.

“Always.” Toni promised, as she gave Cheryl a firm kiss.

*****

Cheryl awoke the next morning to her regular four A.M. alarm. She rolled over to silence it and reached over to cuddle with Toni for the last few moments. Her hand was met with an empty bed. She sat up in confusion, looking around the dark room for any sign of the pink haired girl. The light to the bathroom was off, and the bedroom door was cracked upon. A smile touched her lips when she came to the realization of where Toni was. “My list.” Cheryl said aloud to herself as she hopped out of bed. 

She padded down the hallway and saw light coming from the kitchen. She stopped in the living room to admire the sight. Toni Topaz in tight, black Nike shorts, and a black sports bar. She had her Nike tennis shoes tied on her feet as well as she poured a freshly made smoothie into two cups.

“Good morning.” Cheryl said pleasantly as she sat down at the island.

Toni stopped mid pour to look up at the redhead. “Good morning beautiful, I have your smoothie, ready for our morning workout.” she slid it across the counter.

Cheryl grasped it in both hands and took a small sip. “Perfect Toni. I thought I would have to drag your ass out of bed.”

Toni giggled at the admission. “Me too, but for you I will sacrifice my sleep.”

Cheryl smirked at the pink haired girls words. “I appreciate it, but don’t think I am going to go easy on you in the gym.”

Toni rolled her eyes playfully. “I can handle it babe.”

*****

One hour later, Cheryl was dragging a panting Toni into the elevator to go back upstairs.

“You weren’t kidding...you didn’t go easy on me.” Toni exhaled.

Cheryl gave her a satisfied smile as she placed her index finger to her own chin. “Funny..this was actually a light day.”

Toni gently nudged the redhead in the shoulder. “Well..again...I know where the name Bombshell comes from.”

Cheryl blushed as she admired Toni’s physique as well. “I kind of like having a work out partner.”

Toni chuckled “Well..maybe once a week babe, gotta work my way up to your standards.”

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival. As Toni got off, Cheryl gave her a light smack on the backside. “If I get to see those shorts once a week then absolutely.” 

Toni shook her head with amusement as they made their way back into the apartment.

Cheryl removed her shoes and went to go walk back into the bathroom to get ready.

  
“Hey Cheryl?” Toni called after her.

Cheryl stopped and turned to acknowledge the shorter girl.

Toni took a few steps towards her and dropped her hands to Cheryl’s waist. “How about a bonus list item?” she lowered her voice slightly.

Cheryl’s eyes darkened as she waited for Toni’s suggestion.

“How about…’my girlfriend joins me in the shower’? “ she wiggled her eyebrows at the redhead.

Cheryl bit back a smile at Toni’s antics. “Okay...but I am on a time crunch remember? I have to be on my way to work in 45 minutes. That includes shower, hair, and makeup.”

Toni waved her hand. “No big deal, I can work in any time frame you give me baby, plus...I know how to get you going.” she said as she planted her lips to Cheryl’s pale neck.

Cheryl bit back a groan as she grabbed Toni’s hand and dragged her down the hallway.

*****

Toni laid on Cheryl’s bed with a satisfied smirk on her face, mentally patting herself on the back for how quickly she had Cheryl coming undone in the shower. Her moans echoing off the shower wall had spurred her on even more.

“I can literally see the smug look on your face from in here Toni.” Cheryl shouted from the bathroom as she applied her makeup.

Toni laughed as she hopped up from the bed to lean in the doorframe of the bathroom. “I can’t help it babe...like...did you hear those sounds you were making...like damn…” she said as she admired Cheryl as she brushed through her red hair.

“Oh stop.” she blushed. “But...I am having my way with you tonight..” Cheryl said seductively.

Toni shook her head in disagreement. “It’s your day babe, I wanna take care of you.”

“And you did….enthusiastically...but...I want you.” Cheryl pouted.

“We can work that out later, your time is ticking, I am sure Smithers is waiting downstairs.” Toni warned her girlfriend.

“Ugh..you’re right.” the redhead pouted. “I’ll see you later?” she asked 

“You will, see you at lunch.” Toni promised as she gave Cheryl a sweet kiss goodbye.

Cheryl gave her a satisfied smile and headed out the door.

Toni sighed sadly, left all alone in the bedroom. She had at least 3-4 hours to kill until she planned to pick Cheryl up for lunch. She pursed her lips and looked around the room for something to do. She began making Cheryl’s bed and folding all the clothes she had in her laundry basket. It only took 15 minutes of her time which caused her to roll her eyes in frustration.

She pulled out her phone to shoot Cheryl a quick text.

**Toni: Ugh babe, I am so bored without you already. I miss you so much. I can’t wait for this afternoon.**

Toni clicked send and smirked when her phone dinged instantly with a response.

**Cheryl: Sending my ‘I miss you’ text early I see :). Jk, I miss you too..I wish I could put you in my pocket and take you to work with me.**

Toni laughed out loud at the redhead’s response.

**Toni: Cher...whattttt…lol. Sounds uncomfortable but...if I got to be with you, I’d do it.**

**Cheryl: I’m messing, but it would be nice to have you here, you’d be a welcome distraction.**

**Toni: Trust me, if I could go to work with you I would. I am sure you even make typing at the computer look sexy ;)**

**Cheryl: You’re crazy...see you later my love.**

**Toni: Bye babyyyyyyy**

Toni clicked her screen off as an idea hit her. She eyed Cheryl’s list that she had laid out on the desk. A spa night. Toni went into the bathroom to begin tracking down supplies. She sat on the floor and began rummaging under the sink to see what she had to work with. She grabbed lotion, face masks, moisturizer, massage oil, nail polish, and an under eye mask. “Perfect.” she mumbled to herself as she laid it all out on the sink. 

She decided to lay around and watch Netflix until it was time to go get Cheryl for lunch. After watching quite a few episodes of “The Circle”, Toni was running out the door to hop on her bike to go pick up her girlfriend.

She cruised through the city as smoothly as she could, and stopped in front of Cheryl’s office so she could go inside to get her. She opened the tall, glass doors and squinted her eyes to see which floor the law firm was on. She rode the elevator up to the third floor and quickly found the suite. She opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Cheryl sitting at her desk, red hair shining brightly under the office lights, and a look of concentration on her face. Toni cleared her throat softly, as her girlfriend peered up at her.

“Toni, thank god. I am so ready for lunch.” Cheryl said as she began cleaning off her desk and grabbing for her purse.

Toni cocked an eyebrow at her. “Why are you cleaning up? I will have you back in an hour, promise.”

Cheryl smiled “I thought I would take a half day...spend some extra time with you.”

Toni planted a quick kiss to Cheryl’s lips. “I’d love that babe, but are you sure you can do it?”

Cheryl waved her hand. “Yes, plus I leave for Italy soon for ten days and that is ten days I won’t have with you.”

Toni gave her a sympathetic smile. “Aww Cher, it will be okay, I will be here when you get home.”

“I know T.T. I just wish you could come.” Cheryl pouted.

Toni nodded in agreement. “I know but I didn’t know you yet baby, it’ll fly by don’t worry, plus we have like 2 weeks until you leave any way.”

Cheryl sighed. “You’re right..but I am still taking a half day.”

Toni chuckled at her persistent girlfriend. “Fine by me.”

*****

A short while later Toni and Cheryl were sitting on the same side of a cozy booth at a local coffee shop, tucked away in the back corner, unseen by anyone else.

“This is my favorite lunch spot Toni, thank you for coming here.” Cheryl said while she took a bite of her chicken salad sandwich.

“It’s your day Cher, we go where you want.” Toni replied, dipping her spoon into a bowl of french onion soup.

“It’s weird being here with someone, I am usually sitting solo at this booth, dreading going back to the office.” Cheryl admitted as she grazed Toni’s arm with her finger.

“A good weird I hope.” Toni chuckled lightly.

“Definitely a good weird.” Cheryl laughed, planting a kiss to Toni’s cheek.

“I also brought something else along.” Toni said, placing her spoon down on a napkin as she grabbed her backpack. She unzipped it and pulled out a book, placing it gently on the table. “I hope you don’t mind, it was on your desk and it had a bookmark in it….”

Cheryl’s eyes glowed with excitement as she spotted her copy of  _ Little Women.  _ She grinned when she realized what Toni was doing. “I don’t mind at all Toni! Are you...going to read me the next chapter?”

Toni blushed lightly as she opened the book to Cheryl’s marked place. “I am, I have never done anything like this so bear with me.”

Cheryl pushed her back into the cozy booth as she got situated. “It’s just me and you back here Toni, don’t be embarrassed.”

“Okay.” Toni said nodding her head with confidence. She opened the book and placed Cheryl’s bookmark on the desk. “Chapter 3….”

Cheryl’s heart soared as she heard Toni begin reading out of the book. Her raspy voice was shaky at first but as she got past the initial awkwardness she became animated. She added inflections to her voice and furrowed her eyebrows with concentration as her eyes scanned each word on the page. Cheryl reached over and placed a hand gently on Toni’s thigh, to silently let her know she was doing a great job. Cheryl was so lost in Toni’s voice she was slightly disappointed when Toni cleared her throat and closed the book.

“So how did I do?’ Toni asked sweetly, running her thumb anxiously over the book cover.

Cheryl gripped her tanned face in both hands and gave her a firm kiss on the lips. “It was perfect. Better than I could have imagined. You should do books on tape.”

Toni giggled at the comment and returned a kiss to Cheryl’s lips. “I wouldn’t go that far...but I am glad you enjoyed it.”

“I loved it, thank you Toni.” Cheryl promised.

“Onto our next adventure.” Toni said as she grasped Cheryl’s hand in hers.

Cheryl stomach flipped with excitement as Toni led her out of the cafe, wondering where the pink haired girl was taking her. They walked down the streets, hands swinging playfully between them. She watched as Toni looked at each storefront they passed, squinting her eyes like she was searching for one. 

Toni stopped abruptly in front of one. “Here we are!”

Cheryl looked at the sign. “Painting with a Twist?” she asked curiously.

Toni nodded sheepishly. “I um...I set it up while we were at lunch actually. I figured Veronica would prefer if we didn’t get paint all over her place, and I didn’t know if you were going to take a half day or not so I had to think on my feet for this one.”

Cheryl giggled with agreement. “You are right about that, she would not be a fan of paint of those floors, let’s go babe. I am so excited. I can’t believe you did all this!.”

Toni opened the door for the redhead and they walked in. 

“Hi ladies, welcome!” a pleasant brunette lady greeted them.

“Hi, I made a reservation not too long ago...under Topaz.” Toni said.

The lady pulled up and iPad and scrolled through the screen. “Ah yes! Have you two been here before?” she asked politely.

Both girls shook their heads.

“No problem, so let me explain. You signed up for the couples course. You two will create complementary canvases, meaning when you put them together, they will create one complete canvas. Today we are doing a sunset scene.” the lady explained.

Cheryl watched as Toni bit her bottom lip anxiously. “What’s wrong T.T.?”

“Nothing..I just I haven’t done anything like this before...I don’t want to mess up our picture.” the pink haired girl chuckled.

“You won’t babe, it’s gonna be perfect let’s go sit.” Cheryl dragged Toni over to a stool in front of a blank canvas, her body was buzzing with glee. 

Cheryl grabbed some paint brushes for them and laid them out next to their canvases. “Do you want me to tie up your hair T.T.?” Cheryl asked sweetly as she took a pink strand in her hand. “Although, I am sure you won’t mind a little color.”

Toni shook her head with a smirk. “Yes, please tie it baby.”

Cheryl gathered it all in her hands and tied it in a bun on top of Toni’s head. “Perfect, now we just need aprons and we are good to go.”

Toni grinned at her girlfriend's excitement. “Sorry, part of the experience is drinking wine while painting but I didn’t have time to get any clearly...but maybe tonight?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Cheryl said, planting a kiss on Toni's smiling cheek.

The girls got situated on their stools and waited for the instructor to begin. Cheryl sat up straight and flowed her brush across the canvas as the instructor spoke. She let her hand glide freely as the colors came to life in front of her. She glanced to her right and saw Toni moving her brush a bit more aggressively, but creating a beautiful picture nonetheless. “That looks great Toni.” Cheryl said encouragingly, giggling at the fact that she had the Serpent Queen sitting beside her painting a sunset.

“Thank you.” Toni mumbled, keeping the look of determination on her face, her tongue poking out slightly as she painted.

Cheryl shook her head with a giggle, so happy to be sharing this with Toni.

“Alright ladies, a few more paint strokes and your masterpieces will be done.” the lady instructed.

Cheryl smiled in excitement, feeling proud and confident with her painting. She couldn't wait to see what it looked like next to Toni’s. She added the last touches of orange to the sky and placed her brush in a water glass. She glanced over at the pink haired girl, yellow paint splattered across her tan cheek. Cheryl giggled to herself. “Toni...you have something right….there” she stated rubbing her thumb on the paint mark.

Toni laughed lightly. “Thanks Cher, I got carried away over here.”

“I can tell, want to see what they look like together?” Cheryl asked shyly.

“Of course, they are still drying we can’t let them touch yet, but we can get them close.” Toni instructed as she pushed her canvas towards the redheads. As the two separate pictures got closer, it was clear that they were made to be one. Lining up beautifully, oranges, yellows, pinks, red, and purples creating a breath taking sunset scene.

“Toni! It’s perfect!” Cheryl praised.

“Like us.” Toni whispered as she placed a light kiss on Cheryl's cheek.

Cheryl blushed as she picked up her canvas. “Ready?”

“Yes..Smithers, bless his heart is outside, I didn’t plan for the paintings when I brought my bike, he will take them for us.” Toni chuckled.

Cheryl nodded with acknowledgment and followed the pink haired girl outside.

*****

Toni and Cheryl stepped into the apartment with their new paintings, excited to continue their day together.

“Okay Cher, where do you want to hang these?” Toni asked excitedly.

The redhead tapped her chin pensively. “How about….above my bed..our bed.” she smirked.

Toni bit her lip as she followed Cheryl to the bedroom, canvas in hand. 

They centered them above the bed. “Will Veronica care it I put some nails in the wall?” Toni asked.

Cheryl shrugged. “I don’t know, I have some of that sticky stuff in the mean time.”

Toni nodded and stuck some to each corner, planting them each firmly on the wall. She stepped back to take a look at their handy work and grinned. “Looks great!”

Cheryl planted a kiss to Toni’s lips and looked at their paintings again, her heart warming with affection.

“Okay babe, onto my next task. Meal cooking together. What would you like to make?” Toni asked.

Cheryl bit her lip in concentration. “To be honest, I am pretty tired, can we do something simple?”

“It’s your day babe, you tell me.” Toni smiled.

“Want to see what we have? I am going to change out of my work clothes and I will meet you out there.” Cheryl said.

Toni made her way down the hallway and into the kitchen. She absentmindedly rummaged through the cabinets, not finding much but whole wheat pasta and red sauce. “Spaghetti.” she mumbled.

“Find anything?” Cheryl asked, sneaking up behind her.

Toni turned in surprise and smiled at the sight of her girlfriend. Dressed now in black leggings, and a yellow crop top hoodie. She let her eyes run up and down her body, taking in her long legs and exposed stomach.

Cheryl blushed under Toni’s gaze. “T.T….”

“Sorry...you just..you look sexy.” Toni admitted as she reached out her arms to Cheryl.

The redhead walked into her embrace and dropped her hands to Toni’s hips, running her hands up and down her sides.

Toni grinned and connected their lips in a heated kiss, immediately sliding her tongue into her mouth. She grabbed Cheryl’s hips and lifted her onto the marble counter with ease.

Cheryl gasped in surprise and responded enthusiastically, biting on Toni’s bottom lip and pulling back, watching it snap back into place.

Toni tucked her fingers under the elastic of Cheryl’s leggings and looked into her brown eyes for permission to remove them.

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. “On the counter Toni?”

“Maybe….” she answered sheepishly.

“Okay.” Cheryl grinned with mischief.

Toni pulled the leggings down Cheryl’s long legs and pulled the taller girl towards the end of the counter top. She situated herself between the redheads legs and moved her panties to the side. She immediately flattened her tongue against Cheryl’s center, licking expertly and sucking her clit gently into her mouth, not wanting to waste any time.

Cheryl responded by firmly planting her hands in Toni’s pink hair, holding her place as she moaned at the sensations.

Toni moaned into Cheryl’s center, turned on by the risk of it all. She pulled away from Cheryl and connected their lips in a heated kiss, sliding her tongue into the redheads mouth so she could taste herself. Their tongues moved against one another as Toni slowly slid a finger into the taller girl, quickly added a second. She began a steady pace as she and Cheryl continued their searing kiss. She bit gently on Cheryl’s bottom lip as she brought her thumb to brush against her clit. 

Cheryl broke away from the kiss with a moan, tossing her head back and squeezing her eyes shut as Toni kept up the pace between her legs. 

Toni connected her lips to Cheryl’s neck and sucked on her pulse point while her thumb began moving on the redheads clit in rhythm with her fingers. It didn’t take long until Cheryl was digging her nails in tanned shoulders and clenching around slender fingers. Toni slowed down her pace while Cheryl rode out the waves of her orgasm, breathing heavily as she opened her eyes to look at her girlfriend, a dazed smile taking over her face.

“Sorry you just looked so irresistible.” Toni laughed as she handed Cheryl her leggings back.

Cheryl panted as she hopped off the counter, wiggling back into her leggings. “Toni...I am….wow….that was amazing…”

Toni smirked and shrugged. “It’s your day Cher.”

“We cannot EVER tell Veronica about this.” Cheryl warned with a pointed finger as Toni cleaned up and laid out the spaghetti ingredients.

“My lips are sealed.” Toni promised, as she filled up a pot to boil water. “Is this okay by the way? Literally all there was in the cabinet was these noodles.”

“It’s perfect T.T., simple is what I want right now. We have had a busy day already.” Cheryl said.

The girls cooked the meal and giggled in the kitchen, stealing kisses and touches as the water boiled. They ate at the table hand in hand, enjoying their simple, but delicious meal. Once finished, Toni hopped right up.

“I got the dishes Cheryl.” Toni said as she gathered the plates in her hands and headed over to the sink to wash them off. “If you would like to sit on the couch, relax, and then I will get our next activity ready.”

Cheryl tilted her head in amusement. “More? You are pulling out all the stops today my love.”

Toni shrugged. “I wanna fulfill the list babe, now go relax, let me pour you some wine while you wait.”

Cheryl smiled gratefully and watched as Toni poured her a hearty glass of wine. She took in between her hands and took a large sip.

Toni finished up in the kitchen and planted a kiss to Cheryl’s forehead before she walked towards Cheryl’s room. “I’m going to set up and then I will come get you.”

“Okay….” Cheryl answered suspiciously. 

Toni went into Cheryl’s bedroom to light some candles for her “spa”. She laid out all the supplies she had found that morning and went to grab the redhead.

Toni cleared her throat as she approached her girlfriend. “Madam.”

Cheryl giggled and stood up from the couch, arching an eyebrow at the pink haired girl.

“You are the lucky winner of a night at Topaz Spa, if you would follow me please.” Toni said with a large grin, extending her hand for Cheryl to grab.

She lead Cheryl down the hall and into the candlelight room. “Here we are.” Toni said excitedly, closing her eyes at the relaxing smell of the lavender candles.

“Toni..you are...are you real?” Cheryl asked while placing a hand on her hip.

The shorter girl blushed and grabbed the materials for the face masks. “I thought we could start with these, I didn’t pick up the classic eye cucumbers but we do have an under eye mask thing we can do later.” she began to ramble.

Cheryl giggled at Toni’s nervousness. “Toni, whatever we do will be wonderful.” she said as she began applying the mask to her face and sat on the bed.

“We can do our mundane conversation while we let this do its job if you want.” Toni offered.

“We are in bed, so I suppose we can.” Cheryl agreed.

Toni grinned and reached for Cheryl’s hand. “Can you believe we are doing this right now?’

Cheryl gave Toni’s tan hand a squeeze. “Face masks? Yes, we have great skin care.”

Toni shook her head with a chuckle. “No I mean...can you believe you and me. That we are here. That we made it this far.”

Cheryl pursed her lips in thought. “Truthfully...no. From where we were...who we were 3 months ago...I never would have pictured this.”

Toni nodded slowly in agreement. “Yeah, we are definitely Gabby’s best clients at this point.”

Cheryl let out a laugh. “Seriously though, she could quit her job now, she has succeeded in life.”

Toni leaned over and held her stomach, letting out a laugh also. “You are right about that. But all jokes aside, it has been amazing to get to know you..no matter how we got here...and no matter how many hurdles we have had.”

Cheryl grabbed for Toni’s hand again. “It has been amazing. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Toni smiled. 

“Should we go wash these off?” Cheryl said standing up.

Toni nodded and stood up as well. “And Cheryl for the record...even when we were strangers...and even when you didn’t want to share my air or space...I always, always thought you were the most beautiful girl I had even laid eyes on.”

“You are too pure for this world Toni Topaz.” Cheryl whispered.

*****

After masks, nail painting, feet exfoliators, and moisturizing, Toni was ready to complete the list. She laid a towel down on Cheryl’s bed and handed her a robe. “If you would like to remove your clothes for you massage, I will turn this way.” Toni said pointing towards the wall.

Cheryl pulled her crop top over her head. “Toni..you literally ate me out on the counter like an hour ago, I think you can see me take off my clothes.”

Toni’s mouth fell open at the redhead’s words. “I was just trying to give you a legit massage experience.”

Cheryl removed the rest of her clothes and laid on the towel on her stomach. She laid her head on her hands and waited for Toni to begin.

The shorter girl situated herself on the bed by Cheryl and rubbed the massage oil between her palms as she began to work her hands into Cheryl’s back. She pressed on the muscles firmly, and ran her hands up to her shoulders to work her hands on them as well. She smiled as Cheryl hummed in content, clearly relaxing under Toni’s touch.

Toni continued moving her skilled hands over Cheryl’s toned back, making sure to touch every inch of skin that she could. She moved her thumbs in circles working out knots in the red head’s muscles.

“This feels wonderful Toni, thank you so much.” Cheryl mumbled against her hands.

Toni responded by leaning down to press a kiss on the back of Cheryl’s neck and continued the movements of her hands. After a solid 45 minutes she gave Cheryl another kiss to the neck and got off the bed.

Cheryl smiled contentedly and wrapped the towel around her body. “Toni, thank you so much for today. I also appreciate you carrying out the massage and not turning it into sex. Not that I don’t want you all the time.” she bit her lip, eyes scanning Toni’s body. “But it was nice to have the moment of intimacy with you, it made me feel special and it made me feel cared for...which is what the list is about.”

Toni smirked and brought Cheryl close to her body. “Just one more thing baby.” she planted a firm kiss to Cheryl’s plump lips. “A goodnight kiss.”


	20. I'm Going to Italy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni realizes some shizzz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is very short and I feel kinda bad for that but I also feel like I conveyed all I needed to in order to set up for some major goings on. Since it is near the end, next chapter should be last (and then the epilogue) but if it ends up too lengthy there will be 2 more chapters then the epilogue so we shall see. Sorry for any typos or errors or anything, not really feelinnn it lately but I tried my best.

The two weeks before Cheryl left went by too quickly for the girls. Cheryl had finals in that time, and they had to cram in an extra day per week with Gabby to make up for the redheads upcoming absence. Before they knew it, it was 5 AM on the day of departure and Toni was pouting in the living room while Cheryl and Veronica rushed around last minute. She lost count of how many times she saw the girls running up and down the halls. Carrying clothes, accessories, and makeup bags. Finally, Veronica stationed herself in the kitchen and Cheryl back in her bedroom.

“Toni, you’re riding with us to the airport right?” Veronica called from the kitchen counter, waiting for her bread to pop out of the toaster.

“Of course V, I have to see my girl off.” Toni answered.

“Your girls!” Veronica corrected, plating the toast and joining Toni in the living room.

“My girls.” Toni rolled her eyes with fake annoyance.

“The offer is still on the table...for you to come I mean.” Veronica said cautiously.

Toni let out a heavy sigh. Veronica had mentioned it to Toni last week that she was welcome to join them. She hadn’t dropped the topic since. “I know..but it doesn’t feel right. I want Cheryl to be able to spend time with you and enjoy her last moments with her best friend before she is married. I came into this last minute, I don’t want plans to change. Plus, ten days straight with the Serpents will do some good.”

Veronica nodded understandingly. “I appreciate that Antoinette, but….think of how romantic...Milan..with your beautiful girlfriend….the ticket costs nothing..I had a ton of points saved...”

Toni bit her lip at the thought. It would be amazing to sweep Cheryl around Italy. Holding her hand in the streets, drinking wine while gazing into each other 's eyes, sneaking off at night to look at the city, and stealing kisses every chance that they could. It sounded like a fairytale.

“I see the wheels turning Toni...if...IF you change your mind. I will leave a ticket with Smithers, set to leave two mornings from now…” Veronica confessed mischievously.

“You didn’t.” Toni said in surprise.

“I did. I told you I wanted you to come... and Cheryl doesn’t know..I just got it just in case..” Veronica grinned even wider.

Toni felt her stomach start to flip. This was a lot. This was serious. She felt her old fears of commitment clawing to the surface. She didn't want to move too fast, but they already had gone to the extreme, the ultimate commitment. She felt space was healthy, and although she was going to miss Cheryl like crazy, they hadn’t really spent any time apart in the last three months. “I will think about it V.”

“That’s all I ask.” Veronica answered. 

“Toni? Can you come back here?” a sweet voice asked from down the hall.

“Be right there Cher.” Toni responded, giving Veronica a smirk before she left the room.

Toni ran down the hallway to Cheryl’s room and saw her solemnly sitting on her bed. The pink haired girl slowly approached her and kneeled in front of her. “Cheryl…”

The redhead sniffled and looked at Toni with tear filled brown eyes. “Ughh...I can’t believe how much I am going to miss you.”

Toni laughed out loud at the redheads confession. “I know..who would have thought babe.” she grabbed Cheryl’s pale hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it gently. “I will miss you too...so much.” she insisted, now placing Cheryl’s hand over her heart.

The taller girl sniffled again and slid off the bed to kneel with Toni on the floor, wrapping both arms around the other girl, pulling her as close to her body as she could.

Toni connected their lips firmly, letting her kiss say everything she wanted to say. They moved in synchronization with one another, allowing themselves to get completely lost in the feeling of their lips against one another. Toni pulled away reluctantly, her eyes still closed, breathing Cheryl in as she opened her eyes slowly. “I love you.”

“I love you Toni.” Cheryl said as they got up off the floor.

“Let me get your bags.” Toni said grabbing Cheryl’s bags and carrying them to the front door.

*****

Toni sat in her trailer, door firmly locked and blinds drawn. She was never one to be sad over a girl, but here she was, three beers deep and half a pizza down, missing Cheryl something fierce. It had only been a few hours since she had gotten to the Southside, the place where she would be for the next ten days. She was grateful to be home, but wanted her girlfriend by her side. She clicked her phone checking the time. Cheryl had about an eight hour flight, so she was nearing the last leg.

The pink haired girl sighed, she knew she couldn’t sit in her trailer for 10 days. She would wait to hear from Cheryl tonight, and then go to sleep. She was going to see her grandfather in the morning. She threw her feet up on her coffee table and stared at the movie she had playing on the TV.

She must’ve dozed off because she was awoken by the shrill ring of her cellphone. She sat up quickly and answered it on the second ring.

“Cheryl?” she asked sleepily.

“Yes, hi Toni.” she laughed melodically. 

“How was your flight baby?” Toni questioned as she rubbed her eyes.

“It wasn’t bad, but it’s like 7 am here or something, so I am kind of disorientated.” Cheryl admitted with a yawn of her own.

“I bet.. I miss you already.” Toni told her girlfriend.

“I miss you too, you have no idea.” Cheryl said quietly.

“Oh, trust me...I know. Try to have fun okay?” Toni said happily.

“I will babe, you sound sleepy. Go back to bed and we will talk when you awake.” Cheryl promised.

“Sounds good..I am going to see my grandpa tomorrow..you get some rest too..I love you.” Toni said with a smile.

“I love you too Toni.” Cheryl said, seriousness in her tone.

Toni clicked her phone off and held in up to her chest, shaking her head at her softness. This was running a lot deeper than the pink haired girl had even realized.

*****

The next morning Toni woke up expecting the ache in her chest to be cured. She was wrong. She made herself a strong cup of coffee and Cheryl’s favorite turkey bacon and chewed idly on a few pieces. She showered and got dressed, downing her Serpent jacket and jeans, excited to spend a week day with her grandfather.

She hopped over to his trailer and knocked quietly as she opened the door. “Grandpa?”

“In here...where I always am.” he let out a deep laugh.

Toni threw open the door and chuckled when she saw her grandfather sitting upright in his recliner. “There you are.” The pink haired girl saw her grandfather angling his body trying to see behind her. She bit back a smile when she realized he was looking for Cheryl. “What am I not good enough for you?” she joked.

“Of course you are, but I have grown quite accustomed to that redhead.” he said.

Toni shook her head at his comment. He knew they were official now and overjoyed that Toni finally had someone to bring around. “I told you grandpa, she is in Italy for ten days, it is just me for the next couple weeks, I will be on the Southside the whole time.”

His smile grew. “Well it will be great to have you around...but you’re no Cheryl.” he winked.

Toni threw her arm out playfully as she plopped down on the couch, turning her attention to the classic movie her grandfather had on.

“Why aren’t you there?” he asked.

“Where?” Toni asked, playing dumb. Knowing exactly what he was implying.

“Italy.” he said simply.

Toni sighed as she twisted a lock of pink hair around her tanned finger. “Veronica did leave me a ticket….” her voice trailed off.

Her grandfather leaned forward in his seat. “Toni...why on earth are you sitting here then?”

Toni groaned and threw her head up to the ceiling. “Because grandpa, this is too much. It’s so intense. I’m not sure what to think.”

Thomas crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t think Toni. That’s the problem. Answer this...do you love her?”

“Of course.” Toni said.

“Then why are you trying to think of reasons why you shouldn’t?” he asked exasperated.

“I….I don’t know.” Toni said, slumping her shoulders. She knew the older man was right. She was sitting here telling herself her feelings were too strong. There hadn’t been enough time. But who determines that? She was making herself unhappy for no reason. If Cheryl made her happy then Cheryl made her happy.

“I see the cogs turning in that head of yours.” Thomas said. “I know she feels the way you do. Please don’t self sabotage this.” he pleaded.

“There’s so much you don’t know grandpa.” she said quietly, rubbing her forehead with two fingers, anxiety taking over.

“Help me understand.” he said sternly.

“I don’t want you disappointed in me…” she said, her voice weak.

“You could never disappoint me.” He responded.

“Cheryl and I…..we….ummm….we got married in Vegas...as strangers.” she blurted out.

His eyes widened but softened as Toni explained the last three months to him.

She expected him to tell her she was crazy, to tell her she was an unfit leader, to tell her she was a liar just like her mother, but instead he stood up out of his chair and opened his arms to her.

“Toni it breaks my heart that you thought you couldn’t tell me that. You have lived a life I wouldn’t wish on anyone. You deserve happiness now and if that happiness came in the form of a drunken night...well that’s your story.” he smiled. “It’s real now and you know that…”

“It is real.” she agreed.

He got up from his chair and stood shakily on his legs.

“Grandpa!” Toni exclaimed running over to assist him.

He swatted her away gently. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Stay here, I will be right back.” he said as he shuffled down the narrow hallway.

Toni raised an eyebrow in suspicion and paced back and forth in the family room, waiting for his return. She heard the creak of the floorboard and saw him coming back, a wooden box in his frail hands. 

He motioned for Toni to sit back on the couch and he sat next to her, the cushion sinking under his weight. He grasped her small hand and gave it a squeeze. “Toni...all I have ever wanted for you in life was happiness. One of my biggest regrets was that I wish I had been able to do better by you, give you more than what I was able…” his voice began to shake.

“Grandpa.” Toni said, her voice cracking. “You did everything you could for me.”

“I could have done better. You always rose above it all. A fearless leader now, a woman who is in love. A love so potent and pure, I feel blessed to witness it.” Thomas explained. “It reminds me of how I felt of your grandmother...she was a firecracker too that one…”

Toni shook her head with a playful smile. 

“I’m serious Toni, you have all the makings for an age old love story...why not take advantage of it…?” his voice trailed off again as he opened the box.

Toni peeked curiously as he lifted the lid and rummaged through the old box.

He removed a few stacks of papers, setting them to side and continued searching. “Here we are…” he mumbled removing a smaller box.

Toni’s heart rate increased at the shape of the box. It hammered hard against her chest, she took deep breaths to try and relax herself.

He placed the smaller box into Toni’s hands and watched her expectantly. “Open it.” he encouraged.

Toni gently pried the small box open revealing a ring so beautiful it took her breath away. She took it delicately in between her fingers, moving it all directions to catch the light. It sparkled so brightly for being hidden away. It’s round shape was flawless, housed on a simple silver band. She felt tears build in her eyes as she admired it.

“I gave it to your grandmother.” Thomas said longingly. “I thought it was as beautiful as she was…”

Toni choked out a sob. “Grandpa….”

“I want you to have it Toni. I was going to give it to you someday, it seems someday is now.” he chuckled light heartedly.

Toni continued gazing at the ring through tear filled eyes. Her mind began to wonder, picturing the ring sitting on Cheryl’s finger. Seeing it shine in her brown eyes, hearing a “yes” so pure and lucid, a real yes. Not a yes from a stranger, but a yes from the lips of someone who loved her. “Grandpa..are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything, your grandmother would be honored to see you put it to good use.” he said.

Toni looked at the ring nervously. She wanted it of course, but was it too soon? It couldn’t be, they were already married, but they had only been willingly dating for a short time.

“Go to Italy Toni. Please.” Thomas said quietly.

Toni reluctantly placed the ring back in the small box, not wanting to shut it away again. “Grandpa...this is a lot right now.”

“I’m not saying to take the ring. You can use that when you want too, but go to Italy.” he said.

Toni sighed heavily. “Can I think on it?”

“Of course.” he smiled

The moment was interrupted by the ringing of Toni’s phone. She grabbed it quickly and saw an incoming FaceTime from Cheryl. “Act natural grandpa.” Toni mumbled as she answered the phone.

“Hey baby!” Toni greeted the redhead as her face popped up on the screen.

“Hi! I wanted to catch you while you were at your grandpa’s. Did I make it in time?” Cheryl asked frantically.

“You did!” Toni said excitedly, handing her grandfather the phone.

“Hi Thomas!” Cheryl exclaimed happily.

“Oh! Hey there kiddo! How’s it goin?” Thomas asked, squinting at the phone.

“It’s going good, we are getting ready for dinner now and I wanted to make sure I caught you both.” Cheryl said.

“Well you have fun. We miss you here... Toni isn’t quite the movie partner that you are, but she will have to do for now.” Thomas joked.

Cheryl let out a loud laugh. “Yeah..she falls asleep a lot.”

Thomas laughed heartily. “It must be a Topaz thing...but I won’t keep ya kiddo, here is Toni.”

“Bye Thomas.” Cheryl said.

Toni took the phone back and smiled at the redhead. “You look pretty!”

“I miss you.” Cheryl said with a pout. “Like seriously, heartache miss you.”

“I miss you too Cher.” Toni said with a sad smile.

“I want to kiss you in Italy! Like how cool would that be.” Cheryl whined.

Toni blushed at the comment and the arched eyebrow from her grandfather. “It would be romantic.”

“Ugh, I want to pull you through the phone.” Cheryl pouted again.

Toni smiled longingly at the phone screen. “It’ll go by fast baby okay? I love you.”

“I love you too Toni, talk soon.” Cheryl said with a kiss to the camera.

Toni hung up with a heavy sigh and felt her grandpa’s eyes boring into her. She looked at him and he was smirking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Okay...okay. I’m going to Italy!”

*****

Toni spent the rest of the afternoon at her grandfather’s, watching movies and listening to him talk her ear off about Italy. He made her promise to take hundreds of pictures and to spend quality time with Cheryl.

She arrived back to her trailer and sat down on the couch so she could take a short break before she started packing. She shot Veronica a quick text.

**Toni:** Smithers will drop me at the airport in the morning

**Veronica: ** Yessssssssssssssssssssssss

**Toni:** Settle down V

**Veronica:** I’m just so excited!! I love you and I love you for Cheryl. Okay, I am getting emotional. See you soooooon.

**Toni:** See you soon

The pink haired girl clicked off her phone and shook her head with a laugh. She headed back to her room to begin throwing some items into a bag. She shot a text to Smithers and laid down in her bed. She had the ring sitting on her night stand, within arms reach, internally battling if she should bring it with her or not. She fell asleep, imagining Cheryl’s smiling face and Toni’s lips kissing the top of a pale hand complete with a beautiful diamond ring.

*****

The next morning Toni was 30,000 feet in the air, her third flight in her whole life. She was on her way to Italy and could not be happier. She took calming breaths, clutching her book bag to her chest tightly. Protecting what was in there with her whole life, her now most prized possession. 


	21. The Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni takes advantage of her time in Italy with Cheryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...2nd to last chapter and I am super sad. Next chapter is the last and then I will prolly post an epilogue as well, so I guess technically two chapters. I will wait to get emo in the notes next chapter but thank you to everyone who has read this story, it really blows my mind all the time. I just did this as something fun and I like to write for myself but rarely share it, so it has been an enriching experience. I love Choni and I love y'all for taking time out of your days to read this thing. Talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz, I just tweet random shit lol and occasional info about updates. Sorry this took so long, I got blocked on this for a bit. Peace and everyone stay safe. Also don't forget to peep @lez_blossom and I's cheer fic and my new one shot if you need some reading during all this inside time.
> 
> Sorry for any errors or typos and as far as names of stuffed I just googled it so if I am wrong I apologize, I researched as much as I could.

It was 8:30 PM in Milan and Cheryl was running a brush through her long hair while sitting on a plush couch in the luxurious hotel suite with her friends.

“Cheryl, relax. I am sure Toni is fine.” Josie said encouragingly.

“I haven’t heard from her all day, it’s just unlike her....” Cheryl explained with a sigh. “I worry about her, she’s on the Southside and her and that bike…” she shook her head to stop her mind from thinking of the worst scenarios possible.

Veronica sat down next to her friend on the couch. “Cheryl...can you do me a favor?” 

“Sure.” she agreed, wanting to distract herself.

“Can you go down to the front desk and get me one of those pamphlets, ya know with like the top places to visit in Milan?” Veronica asked sweetly.

Cheryl wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. “I mean...we can google that V.” she explained, not really wanting to move from the couch.

“I know, but it’s about the experience, something to take home with me….pretty please.” Veronica pleaded, batting her eyes at her friend.

“Okay, okay.” Cheryl said getting up from the couch and heading towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Cheryl exited the room and dragged herself towards the elevator. She felt guilty for being in a mood today, but she couldn’t help but worry about Toni. She was in this deeper than she thought. She had never worried about anyone’s wellbeing like this and the thought of not having Toni in her life made her nervous. The elevator descended to the lobby and she made her way towards one of the front desks.

She walked up to the desk and immediately began shuffling through the pamphlets. There were a lot to choose from so she opted to grab one of each so Veronica couldn't complain.

“Excuse me, Miss.” a raspy voice addressed the redhead

Cheryl closed her eyes, getting emotional with how much it sounded like Toni. She turned slowly to face the stranger and felt all the pamphlets slip from her fingers.

Staring back at her with soft brown eyes and vibrant pink hair was her girlfriend. The smile on her face could have lit the whole room.

Cheryl threw her arms around her, bringing her in for a bone crushing hug. “Toni.” she said, her voice muffled against the leather of Toni’s jacket. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Toni giggled as she pulled back to cup Cheryl’s cheek in her hand, placing a soft kiss to her lips. “I missed you.”

Cheryl melted into her touch, leaning her head against Toni’s hand. “I missed you too. I can’t believe you are here. Does Veronica…” her voice trailed off but then she realized as she saw the pamphlets scattered on the ground. “She..she...is something.”

“She is..” Toni giggled, giving Cheryl another kiss. She broke away to pick up the papers off the ground and grabbed Cheryl's hand. “Lead the way baby.”

Cheryl pulled Toni towards the elevators, her stomach swirling with butterflies. She was ecstatic to have her girlfriend with her and was overjoyed that Veronica had helped make this all possible.

“You’re quiet.” Toni observed as the elevator climbed the floors.

Cheryl turned to face the shorter girl. “I am just shocked...I can’t believe you’re really here.”

“Believe it babe.” Toni chuckled bringing Cheryl’s hand up to her lips to kiss the top of it.

Cheryl blushed slightly as an idea came to mind. “Ya know…” she began as she slowly backed Toni into the doors of the elevator. “We could reenact our first night together...as I recall...from what I can recall...it started in an elevator.” she breathed, planting a kiss on Toni's neck.

“Mmmm...I’m game babe...but we have to keep it down a notch, this is Veronica’s week.” Toni said as Cheryl’s lips continued to explore her neck.

“Oh..of course T.T.” Cheryl responded sweetly. “Not an issue for me..but…” she said, running her fingers over the leather of Toni’s jacket. “You on the other hand…” she attached her lips back to Toni’s neck as the shorter girl leaned her head back for more access.

The elevator dinged and Toni quickly stood straight as to not fall out the doors. “We can’t repeat the whole night.” she joked.

Cheryl smiled happily and grabbed Toni’s hand, practically dragging her down the hallway to show her friends the surprise. She bursted through the door, pulling the pink haired girl behind her.

Josie, Betty, and Veronica turned towards the commotion and grinned at the duo in the doorway.

“Toni?” Betty asked with surprise, getting up to give her a hug.

“Thank god, now Cheryl can stop thinking you’re in a ditch somewhere” Josie said.

Toni gave Cheryl an eyebrow raise at the comment.

Veronica walked over to the pair, pulling Toni into an embrace. “I am so happy to see you!”

Toni gave a bashful smile and set her bag on the floor. “I’m happy to be here, thanks for letting me come.”

Veronica clasped her hands together. “We must toast.” She scurried to the kitchen to grab champagne flutes and a bottle.

Cheryl slipped an arm around Toni’s waist and pulled her close as Veronica came in with the bottle and glasses. 

Betty grabbed the flutes from her hands and passed them around as Veronica popped the champagne, pouring everyone a hardy amount.

“I’d like to propose a toast..” Betty began. “To my best friend, I am so happy you have found a forever in Archie and I know you two will have a full and wonderful life together.”

Veronica smiled as everyone took a sip of the alcohol.

Josie went next, saying her well wishes and then it was Cheryl’s turn. She cleared her throat before she spoke. “Veronica. I could go on and on about you. You have given me so much in this life and you have grown so much too. You saved me from my darkest places and brought me a new light. You and Archie make a great team and you two will move mountains. I love you V.”

“Well said baby.” Toni whispered in the redheads ear as she tipped her glass back. 

Toni stepped forward to speak but Veronica put up a hand to stop her. 

“I want to toast you Toni.” She smiled happily. “Toni, you came into our lives in an unconventional way to say the least. But… I am not sure where we would be without you. You have turned into a friend, someone I can’t picture not in our lives. You have breathed new life in the Southside Project, the future on that is bright. Above all else you have made my best friend smile, laugh, relax, love ….” she choked back tears. “I love you two and I am so happy we can all be here together.” Veronica said through tears. “Cheers.” 

Everyone raised their glasses, downing the rest of the champagne.

*****

After going through another bottle of champagne, all the girls retired to bed to rest up for the next day of adventures.

Cheryl happily closed her bedroom door and smiled when she saw Toni already curled up on the King sized bed. Her pink hair splayed over the pillow. She still had on her jeans, jacket, and combat boots.

“Toni...baby…I know you’re tired, but I promise you’ll be more comfortable in pajamas.” Cheryl chuckled.

“You want me naked is all.” Toni mumbled into the pillow, a tipsy giggle slipping from her lips.

Cheryl smirked at her response. “Well...yes..but I also know you are tired from today, and sleeping in jeans is not the most desirable thing on the planet.”

Toni groaned slightly but sat up to remove her jacket. She folded it and set it on top of her bag. She took off her boots and tossed them on the floor, followed by her jeans. She lifted her T-shirt over her head and reached around her back to unhook her bra, leaving her in black panties. “There.” she grinned.

Cheryl shook her head in amusement and peeled her clothes off as well, all except for red underwear. She hopped in bed next to Toni and pulled her against her chest, enjoying the feeling of her skin against hers. “Fuck...I missed this.”

“I’ll never get sick of it Cher.” Toni mumbled in a sleepy daze.

“Of what?” the redhead asked.

“Of you.” Toni whispered, before drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

Cheryl smiled and planted a kiss to the top of pink hair. 

*****

Toni stirred awake the next morning, surprised that she had slept so well. She saw Cheryl snoozing next to her, the blanket around her waist, leaving her bare chest exposed. The pink haired girl smiled at her luck and rolled over towards her girlfriend. She slipped her hand across the plain of the taller girl's stomach and pulled her against her body so her back was against her chest.

Cheryl hummed in content and snuggled closer to her girlfriend as her body started to wake up. “Are you feeling rested T.T.?” the redhead asked sleepily, her eyes still closed.

“Fully.” Toni rasped, brushing Cheryl’s hair away from her neck to plant a kiss to the soft skin.

Cheryl turned so she was nose to nose with Toni, a relaxed smile on her lips. “I can’t believe you’re here.” she said, moving her hand to the back of Toni’s neck and pulling her in for a slow kiss.

Toni reciprocated with enthusiasm, sliding her tongue into Cheryl’s mouth, moaning into the kiss.

They moved their lips against one another at a slow, sensual pace, enjoying the feeling of each other's lips. Neither made a move passed that, just relishing in the intimate moment, skin pressed against skin and lips moving in a rhythm that was familiar to them now.

They finally broke away, eyes opened halfway, peering at each other with dreamy smiles on their faces. 

“We better get out of bed.” Cheryl mumbled, snuggling closer to Toni.

“Then don’t cuddle me babe, it makes me want to stay here all day.” Toni laughed.

“Well we are in Italy, I want to get you out there, see the views.”Cheryl said, finally rolling away from Toni and getting out of bed.

“Awww, but you’re my view baby.” Toni admitted, sitting up against the headboard as she watched her girlfriend move around the room.

Cheryl paused at the pink haired girls words. “Charming T.T. but we must get ready before Veronica starts harassing us.”

As soon as the words left Cheryl’s lips, there was a pounding on the door. “Are you decent? I’m coming in.”

Cheryl quickly threw on a bra and Toni pulled the covers up to her neck. “Not really but come in I guess.” the redhead said with an eye roll.

Veronica threw open the door, a large grin on her face as her eyes darted between the pair. “I seriously am obsessed with you guys.”

“Clearly…” Cheryl mumbled as she wiggled into a pair of white pants.

“Are you two love birds ready for a beautiful day in Milan?” Veronica asked as she plopped down on the bed next to Toni.

Toni arched an eyebrow at Cheryl and pulled the sheets up higher.

“We are.” Cheryl answered. “Whats on V’s itinerary today?”

Veronica grinned happily and displayed her phone. “Well…let’s see.” she scrolled on the screen. “We are shopping all day today at the Grand Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Then we will have lunch, come back and rest and get ready for dinner.”

“Sounds great Veronica.” Toni said.

Veronica clicked off her phone and gave the girls another smile. “Okay, as you were.” she hopped off the bed and back out of the room.

“Sorry about her T.T.” Cheryl said as she sat down on the corner of the bed.

Toni sat up, letting the blanket fall to expose her body to the room. “I’m used to her babe, she’s harmless and just excited.” the pink haired girl giggled.

Cheryl’s eyes fell to Toni’s chest and she felt the familiar desire she always felt when looking at the shorter girl. “Okay..I need to leave the room...otherwise…” her voice trailed off with a laugh. “You get ready and I’ll meet you in the living room.”

“Okay babe.” Toni chuckled.

Toni hopped out of bed and rummaged in her suitcase, looking for something to wear for the day. She opted for black jeans, her combat boots, and a white Nike crop top. She had transferred the ring from her backpack to the bottom of the suitcase. She found the box and squeezed it gently with her hands, bidding it farewell for the day. She went to join the rest of the girls in the room. 

“Alright ladies, let’s get shopping.” Veronica said, holding open the door for the group.

Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as they walked out the door.

*****

Toni felt her muscles start to ache as she followed the group of girls to another store. Shopping all day was not really Toni’s thing but she was happy to be a part of it. She wandered in what felt like the 12th store, looking at the designer bags and shoes. She slipped out of the store to sit on a stone bench to rest her feet for a few moments.

She sighed in relief, giving her feet a break and admiring the scene around her. She had never left the country and was still in awe at the whole situation. She looked up and smiled when she saw a familiar redhead waltzing towards here.

“T.T. are you alright?” Cheryl asked as she sat next to her girlfriend on the bench.

Toni slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, planting a kiss to her cheek. “I’m perfect baby.”

Cheryl’s eyes softened while she looked at the pink haired girl, her exhaustion apparent in her brown eyes. “I know this isn’t your thing, but I am so grateful that you are being a trooper.”

Toni gave the redhead’s hip a little squeeze. “I really don’t mind Cheryl...plus...I get you all to myself tonight.” she grinned, sneaking a kiss to Cheryl’s lips.

“That you do Toni.” the redhead giggled, giving a kiss back.

The girls shopped until they couldn’t anymore, grabbed some lunch, and retired to the room to rest up before dinner.

Toni went into her and Cheryl’s room, did a quick ring check, changed into some comfy clothes and jumped under the covers. She sighed happily at the comfortable bed and quickly fell asleep.

*****

Dinner came and went and the girls started to walk back to the hotel, but Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand.

“Ladies, we will see you later, I want to walk with my T.T. down the Naviglio Grande.” Cheryl announced.

Toni blinked in surprise and felt her stomach flutter with excitement as she felt Cheryl’s grip on her hand tighten.

“Have fun you two.” Betty said, giving them a little wave.

Cheryl smiled and pulled Toni in the direction of the canal.

They walked in a comfortable silence, hands swinging playfully between them. Toni looked around in wonder at the atmosphere. The water looked beautiful, the street lights reflecting off of the surface was breathtaking.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Cheryl asked, a calmness in her tone.

“It’s perfect Cher, thank you for bringing me here.” Toni said with a swing of their hands.

Cheryl giggled at her antics and twirled Toni in the streets, spinning her close to her body to plant a kiss to pink lips.

“God...it’s like a movie.” Toni muttered, more to herself.

“Hmmm?” Cheryl asked as they continued their stroll.

“I said..it’s like a romantic movie.” Toni mused. She paused, realization taking over. It did feel like a movie. It felt like a love story. As soon as the thought entered Toni’s head, her grandfather’s words echoed in her mind. “ _ I’m serious Toni, you have all the makings for an age old love story...why not take advantage of it… _ ” In this moment, being here with Cheryl, in the comfortable silence, in the stillness of the streets, she knew he was right. This was their story. Any doubts or reservations she had about coming completely vanished. The fear she had of the timing and of the judgement from others was gone. All she cared about was Cheryl, all she wanted was Cheryl.

“You okay?” Cheryl asked, looking at Toni with a puzzled expression.

Toni shook her head, snapping herself out of her trance. “Yes baby, sorry I was just in awe for a second.”

Cheryl smirked and nodded in agreement. “I know the feeling.”

“Follow me.” Toni giggled as she dragged Cheryl into a narrow alley, the pair nestled comfortably between two, old brick buildings. The pink haired girl gently pushed Cheryl against one of the buildings and connected their lips in a passionate kiss. It wasn’t sloppy, it wasn’t rough, it was slow, sweet, and full of love. It continued for a few moments until they both broke away with large grins on their faces.

Cheryl cupped Toni’s cheek in her hand and stroked her thumb over the tanned skin lovingly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Toni said sincerely. “Let’s keep walking.” she grinned.

*****

Toni and Cheryl got back to the hotel and got ready for bed immediately. Both too tired from their day to do anything besides cuddle with one another. The redhead was asleep within a few moments, snoring peacefully in Toni’s arms.

The pinkette gently unwrapped her arms from Cheryl and padded out of the room quietly. She had something that she had to do.

She made her way down the hall to Veronica’s room and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” she said happily.

Toni pushed open the door and saw the Latina under her covers, black framed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and a book in her lap.

“Antionette! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Veronica asked.

Toni shuffled her feet nervously. “Can...I umm talk to you for a sec?”

Veronica scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “Of course...is everything okay?”

“Yeah...everything is great.” she reassured, taking a deep breath. 

Veronica tossed off her blankets and escorted Toni to the balcony attached to her room. There was a small table out there, with two chairs. They sat across from one another. “So what's on your mind?”

Toni took a deep breath and suddenly wished she still smoked cigarettes, her anxieties getting the best of her.

“Toni...you're scaring me.” Veronica said.

Toni took another calming breath and cleared her throat. “Sorry...I don’t know why I am making this a big deal…”

Veronica gave her a small smile to continue.

“I umm...look...I don’t know how to say this and I don’t want to take away from your Bachelorette but…” Toni tripped over her words. “I love Cheryl...she’s not close with her family so I am not sure who to ask or whose blessing to get but..”

“Oh….my...god….” Veronica’s mouth flew open. “Say no fucking more. Toni...this won’t take away from me...you have to take advantage of Italy..but I’m sorry...continue.”

Toni grinned. “I want to ask Cheryl to marry me, or to stay married to me. I want to make it official official, I don’t want anyone else. I know the time isn’t up, but I don’t want it to be. I want her to have a real wedding...at some point..I want that for her...for us.”

Veronica wiped a tear from her eye. “Toni...you don’t need my blessing but you have it 1,000 times over. You know how I feel about you two, and don’t worry about it being ‘my’ time or whatever, I am just happy to have you all here...and I get to marry the man of my dreams in a few weeks..I’m gold girl.”

Toni sat back in her seat, breathing a sigh of relief. “I feel so much better with you saying that.”

“So when are you thinking?” Veronica asked, leaning forward with mischief in her eye.

“Here's the deal….” Toni began. 

*****

A few days later and Toni was ready to execute her plan. The same way Cheryl had whisked Toni away to the canal after dinner, Toni was planning on whisking Cheryl to the Brera Botanical Garden.

“You guys want to grab some gelato?” Josie asked as they pushed their chairs in from dinner.

Toni’s eyes shot a worried look at Veronica, the pinkette wanted to make sure she was at the garden around sunset.

“I dunno...I’m pretty tired, I think we should head back.”Veronica said, winking at Toni.

“T.T., we can go get some if you want.” Cheryl said sweetly, knowing how much her girlfriend loved frozen desserts.

“It’s okay Cher….actually I was wondering if I could take you somewhere?” Toni asked.

“Of course.” Cheryl said happily.

Toni felt her stomach start to do flips as they walked down the streets. She tried her best to keep breathing, the ring felt heavy in her pocket. She had taken it out of the box to make it easier to hide.

“Where are we going?” Cheryl asked happily, walking in time with the shorter girl.

“Almost there.” Toni reassured her.

They came upon the garden and Toni grinned when she saw the sun starting to set. She led Cheryl forward so she could see the garden first. The greenery was beautiful, casted in the amber lights of the sun.

“Toni...this is gorgeous.” Cheryl praised as she looked around in awe.

Toni felt a lump in her throat, not even able to answer her. The pink haired girl walked Cheryl around the garden, admiring the flower beds and greenery. She smiled when she saw Cheryl's eyes lighting up with awe at what she was seeing. Toni paused them by a fountain, the water quietly trickling in the background. It was now or never. She grabbed both of Cheryl’s hands and turned to face her. Looking into soft, brown eyes.

Toni inhaled deeply and began to speak. “Cheryl...these have been the best months of my whole life.” she did her best to keep her voice steady. “I know we have had countless discussions about how crazy this all is...and sometimes it blows my mind that we met the way we did.”

Cheryl titled her head curiously as she listened, a small smile staying on her lips.

“You’re my wife legally but I want you to be more than that, you’re everything to me.” Toni said, her voice now starting to shake. “I love you Cheryl...I really do.” tears started to run down her face. “I want to spend everyday with you, every day from now on, every day past the six months, I want you Cheryl Blossom.” she slowly dipped her fingers into her jeans pocket and lowered herself to one knee, staring up at Cheryl's now tear streaked face.

A sob escaped from the redhead’s mouth and she laid on a hand on Toni’s shoulder to steady herself.

“Cheryl...will you marry me? For real marry me? A real wedding, our friends and family, a beautiful dress, this ring...you deserve it all.” Toni pledged.

Cheryl dropped down on a knee, eye level with her the shorter girl. She grabbed a tanned face between pale hands and kissed Toni firmly. “Yes Toni...yes..I would love nothing more in the whole world. You are my life. You are my happily ever after, as lame as that sounds. I have never been this happy in my whole life. I have never been so grateful for one of Veronica’s crazy trips, if I would’ve turned down Vegas...I can’t even think of it.”

Toni pinched the ring between her two fingers, dying to put it on Cheryl’s finger. 

“I love you..” Toni cried, planting another kiss to Cheryl’s lips. “Can...can I put this on you?”

Cheryl giggled. “Of course.” she held up her hand to Toni.

Toni looked at the sparkling diamond through tear filled eyes as she slipped it perfectly onto Cheryl’s finger. It had never looked better. She grasped Cheryl’s hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of it softly.

Cheryl sniffled and held out her hand at arms length, admiring the sparkle. “This is for life Toni Topaz.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way baby.” Toni promised.


	22. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I will leave my sappy notes for the epilogue but this is the last chapter before that. It has come to a close and I am super emo about it. Like I said I will save all the emotional stuff for next chapter but thank you all who have read this, it means a lot to me and I never thought it would be anything I would be proud of so thank you for that. I hope everyone is staying safe during these crazy times and taking care of themselves the best they can. I know it has been very rough. I hope this distracts you for a few moments. Talk to me on Twitter @tonicheryltopaz or leave a comment if you like it. Also, I am trying to put out a one shot before the musical so I will try to have that up maybe by Monday. Peace.
> 
> Sorry for any errors or typos
> 
> **smut warning **

Cheryl and Toni sat in the garden for what felt like hours, trapped in their blissful bubble, and they did not want to leave anytime soon. Cheryl kept staring at the ring on her finger, causing Toni to smile with pride. She moved it left and right, watching the light catch on the diamond from every angle. Toni had explained to Cheryl the importance behind it and it made it even more special to the redhead.

Cheryl knew that she was going to want to stay with Toni after the six months were up, but they never had officially had the conversation. This was validation enough that they were indeed on the same page.

After a few more stolen kisses and whispers of “I love you” they finally figured it was time to get back to the hotel and walked hand in hand in the streets, sauntering slowly. 

“You know..” Cheryl began, breaking their comfortable silence. “I thought it was impossible to love you more than I already did before, but tonight proved me wrong.”

Toni smiled in admiration at Cheryl’s words. “I am looking forward to continuing to prove you wrong on that front.”

“Should we tell the girls when we get back? Or...what do you think?” Cheryl asked nervously as they got closer to the hotel.

“If you want too babe, I uh...kinda asked for Veronica’s blessing...so knowing her…” Toni’s voice trailed off.

Cheryl stopped dead in her tracks. “T.T. that is so unbelievably adorable but you know her extra ass...who knows what could be waiting for us.”

Toni giggled and planted a kiss to Cheryl’s lips. “I like that…’waiting for us.’”

“It is us.” Cheryl said with a smile. “It always will be us now.”

Toni hummed happily and continued their walk to the hotel.

Cheryl felt her stomach start to flutter with nerves, she couldn’t wait to tell her friends the good news. The happiness she felt with Toni was still foreign to her. The unconditional desire to always have the other girl by her side was overpowering. Her emotions were so raw right now, if she so much as glanced Toni’s way she would start crying with joy. 

“You okay Cher… I lost you there for a sec ?” Toni asked sweetly.

“Yes..just unbelievably happy.” Cheryl smiled.

Toni returned the smile and stopped in front of their hotel door. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Cheryl responded, giving Toni a quick kiss on the lips. 

*****

Toni and Cheryl had entered the room, made their announcement and had spent the next two hours being showered with love and champagne from their friends. Veronica looked like she was going to self combust with excitement. In true fashion, she had snuck away and bought them balloons, streamers, other engagement decor and had decorated her balcony without the other girls knowing. It was perfect.

After the celebration Toni laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, Cheryl in her arms and her ears ringing from the shrieks of congratulations from all the girls. She didn’t mind though, nothing could replace this feeling of complete glee. She thought becoming Serpent Queen was her biggest accomplishment and the best day of her life. While she was proud of that, she was even more proud of opening her heart. There was no one else on the planet that she would trust with something so delicate. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt that the girl sleeping peacefully in her arms would never hurt her. She pulled the redhead closer to her body and closed her eyes, knowing she would see Cheryl in her dreams as well.

*****

It was the last full day and night in Italy and Veronica wanted to go out in style. She had got the girls into one of the most exclusive clubs in Milan and planned to dance the night away with her friends.

Cheryl stood in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped around her middle, and her red hair freshly dried. She looked at her short, red dress hanging up behind her. She loved to wear it because it extended dangerously above the knees and hugged her body perfectly. She ran her fingers over the smooth material. She couldn't wait until Toni saw her in it. The reactions of the pink haired girl were always enough to have her body aching pleasantly. She dropped her towel and stepped into a pair of red panties. She quickly grabbed her new diamond ring off the sink and slipped it onto her finger, holding it up to look at it for the hundredth time.

“It keeps looking better and better.” a sweet voice said from behind her.

Cheryl’s eyes darted up to the mirror and caught Toni’s brown eyes in the reflection. She felt her mouth go dry at the look in Toni’s eyes as they dropped down to Cheryl’s bare chest. As she stepped closer, Cheryl felt a pair of hands ghost over her hips and up to her breasts.

The pink haired girl massaged them in her hands, dropping her lips to Cheryl’s neck. She placed firm yet gentle kisses to the soft skin as she squeezed the redhead’s breasts in her hands. She broke away from Cheryl’s neck and made eye contact with her in the mirror while she continued massaging her breasts.

“Look at how sexy we look baby.” Toni purred into the taller girl's ear, tugging on the lobe with her teeth and rolling one of the redhead’s nipples with her thumb and index finger.

Cheryl shivered and closed her eyes at Toni’s words, already squeezing her legs together to ease some tension.

“Open your eyes and look at how perfect you are.” Toni whispered as one of her hands descended over the plain of a pale stomach. “So perfect.” she pledged with another kiss to the neck.

Cheryl’s head rolled to the side as she felt Toni’s hand getting lower and lower, closer to where she needed her. “Toni….” she moaned out.

Toni did not want to leave her girl waiting this time, not in the mood to tease her. She slipped her hand into her panties and immediately began circling her clit with her fingers.

Cheryl felt her knees go weak at the contact and gripped the sink as Toni continued. She dug her nails into the marble and quickly became annoyed with Toni’s limited access. She hastily hooked her fingers into her panties to remove them completely.

Toni chuckled into her ear and began speeding up her movements, sliding her finger between the redhead’s folds to gather more wetness onto her fingers. She brought her fingers back up to her clit and began rubbing in hurried circles.

Cheryl let moan after moan slip from her lips as she watched Toni’s movements in the mirror, heightening the whole experience for her. She watched a tanned hand move lower as she felt and saw two fingers slid into her. The moan she let out caused Toni to gently shush her.

“You sound sexy as fuck baby, but we gotta stay quiet...these walls aren’t sound proof.” Toni reminded her.

“I’m trying..but…” Cheryl began to speak with labored breath. “Do you see yourself?” she gestured to the mirror with her hand.

Toni’s dark eyes connected with Cheryl’s again in the glass and she let a moan of her own slip. “Fuck...you’re right.” she sped up the movements of her fingers and pressed her thumb into Cheryl’s clit with each thrust.

Cheryl whined with pleasure and bit her lip to suppress the sounds as best as she could. “I’m...I’m close Toni.”

“Mmm...good...look at me when you cum baby..” Toni urged, curling her fingers into Cheryl’s spot.

Cheryl gripped onto the sink harder, urging her eyes to stay locked on Toni’s as she felt her orgasm approaching quickly. A few more thrusts and the look of pure want and lust Toni had in her eyes had Cheryl cumming hard. She moaned loudly, the sounds echoing off the tiled walls of the bathroom.

Toni slowed down her fingers and withdrew them, bringing them quickly between her lips. “Baby...that was...amazing.”

Cheryl leaned forward on her hands and caught her breath. “Yeah….fuck.” she giggled, not able to find words.

Toni gave her a light smack on the ass and turned to exit the room. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress.”

Cheryl gave her a large smile and quickly began preparing herself for the night out.

*****

A couple hours later and Toni was pleasantly buzzed, a silly grin plastered on her face as she watched Cheryl and Veronica dancing on the dance floor. She had to take a breather, not quite used to dancing all night like the other girls. She downed a shot of tequila and went back to be part of the action. She made her way over to the girls and laughed when she saw Cheryl’s eyes widen with excitement upon seeing her. A drunk Cheryl had a mind of her own.

“T.T. I missed you!” the redhead slurred.

Toni gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You were fine babe, I saw you dancing your little heart out.”

Cheryl giggled and wrapped her arms around Toni’s neck. “Dance with me.” The taller girl turned so her back was against Toni’s front and she brought Toni’s hands down to the hips.

The pinkette happily obliged and tightened her grip on Cheryl’s hips and moved them in beat with the music. It didn’t take long for Toni to feel her body heat up. She was drunk, dancing, and quickly becoming incredibly turned on with Cheryl’s body pressed hard against her. She experimentally began moving her hands up and down the redhead’s sides, closing her eyes at the feeling of her body.

Cheryl reacted instantly and turned so her face was inches from Toni’s. Hot air hitting both their faces. The redhead connected their lips in a fervent kiss, immediately sliding her tongue into Toni’s mouth.

Toni responded just as enthusiastically, intertwining her hands into styled red hair and tugging lightly.

Cheryl broke away. “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure?” Toni breathed, looking around for the rest of the group. Veronica was becoming less steady and Betty was becoming more attentive, hinting at an early departure anyway.

Cheryl nodded, her eyes hooded.

“Okay, let me tell the others and we can go.” Toni said, placing another kiss to Cheryl’s lips.

The redhead smiled in victory, excited to get Toni back to the hotel while no one was there. She watched Toni talking to Josie and gesturing to the exit. Josie had given her an understanding smile and nod and Toni was back running to Cheryl’s side.

“Ok baby let’s go.” Toni said excitedly, clutching Cheryl’s hand. 

They made their way through the crowd and out the door, happy to get some fresh air. Cheryl held on to Toni’s hand and led them in the direction of the hotel.

Toni wobbled on her feet, trying to keep up with the redhead. “Cher, should we get a cab? I don’t know how far we have to walk.”

Cheryl bit her lip in thought, realizing she was not exactly sure of which way to go entirely. “Sure T.T.” she giggled, getting out her phone and summoning them a car.

They leaned drunkenly against each other as they waited for the car, giggling and whispering to each other on the side of the street. “You’re so cute.” Toni said as she looked at Cheryl with hazy eyes. “Like adorable.”

Cheryl laughed in response, taking Toni’s chin between her thumb and index finger and puckered out her lips. “No, you are so cute.” She kissed the shorter girl.

The car pulled up and the girls stumbled into the back seat, immediately picking up where they had left off in the club. 

Toni soon found Cheryl in her lap, her tanned hands gripping Cheryl's backside through the fabric of her dress as she attacked her mouth with no reservation. All she could feel was Cheryl, all she could taste was Cheryl. She thought she heard the driver briefly mumble something about seatbelts, but she didn’t care. She had a beautiful girl in her lap, her hips rolling into hers, and soft moans slipping from the redheads lips between kisses.

The cab came to a stop and Cheryl reluctantly removed herself from Toni’s lap, ran her thumb under her own bottom lip and exited the cab as gracefully as possible. 

Toni quickly followed as they made their way upstairs in a hurry. She scanned the card and entered the open room.

Cheryl immediately attacked her, pushing the shorter girl towards the couch until she was back on her lap, her hips picking up the familiar motion.

“Someone’s eager.” Toni chuckled as she dug her fingers into Cheryl’s sides, taking a moment to catch her breath.

“I am still worked up from earlier.” Cheryl admitted as she attached her red stained lips to Toni’s neck, covering it with hot kisses.

Toni’s head rolled to the side as she let Cheryl explore her neck. “We have a lot of sex in hotels.” she observed.

Cheryl broke away from the shorter girl's neck with an annoyed scowl. “Okay...do you want to stop then?”

“No...no..sorry, as you were.” Toni smiled as she reached for the zipper of Cheryl’s dress.

Cheryl smirked and let Toni remove her dress, and she stood up briefly for Toni to do the same until there was no clothing between them. The redhead smirked at Toni’s newly naked body as she sat back down on the couch, it always left her in awe. “What to do to you tonight my love…” Cheryl mused as she ran her fingers slowly from Toni’s neck to down between her breasts, avoiding touching them.

Toni’s breath hitched in anticipation. Cheryl could easily have her at her mercy with just a few words, no matter how hard the pinkette tried to fight it. Toni liked to remain confident, unbothered, in charge, but the way Cheryl looked at her with dark eyes, she couldn't do anything but do what the redhead said.

Cheryl continued moving her fingertips lower, running then gently over Toni’s toned stomach. She smirked to herself as goosebumps made their appearance on tanned skin. She stopped her descent and dropped herself to her knees in front of the couch, not wanting to keep Toni or herself waiting. She was face to face with Toni’s wet center and she licked her lips in anticipation, already eager to taste her.

Toni looked down at the redhead, feeling herself grow wetter at the sight of her between her legs. She would never grow tired of this. “Baby….” she whispered as her hips rose slightly.

Cheryl smirked and gripped Toni’s hips between her hands as she lowered her face to Toni’s center. She poked her tongue out, firmly licking a stripe up through the pinkette’s folds, moaning loudly at her taste.

Toni's eyes closed immediately as she felt Cheryl’s tongue. It was intoxicating. “Fuck...Cheryl...that’s perfect.” she said as Cheryl flicked her clit with her tongue. 

The redhead lowered her hands to grip Toni’s thighs as she lowered her tongue through her folds, dipping it briefly to Toni’s entrance.

Toni tangled her fingers into red hair, holding Cheryl close to her, feeling her climax building quickly.

Cheryl pulled away and circled Toni’s entrance with two fingers. She watched Toni’s face as she slid her fingers into her. Lips parting in ecstasy, and brown eyes rolling to the back of her head. The redhead could have came right there with the way Toni reacted to her. She started a punishing pace into the pink haired girl, as she leaned up to capture Toni’s lips with her own.

Toni moaned when she tasted herself on the redhead’s lips and tongue. She lifted her hips to meet Cheryl’s fingers and felt herself getting closer and closer to her peak.

Cheryl pulled away from Toni’s lips and looked into brown eyes that were struggling to stay open, giving into the pleasure from the redhead’s fingers. “Mmmm look at you…” Cheryl mused. “Tell me how good I make you feel baby.” she whispered in Toni’s ear planting a kiss beneath it. 

Toni moaned over and over again as Cheryl hit her spot with her fingers. “Fuck…” she struggled to get the words out. “You...you make me feel so good baby…fuck..I’m close.”

“I know.” Cheryl purred as she brought her thumb to Toni’s clit, never stopping her pace inside the shorter girl. 

“Fuck..tell..tell me to cum.” Toni pleaded as she began to see stars behind her eyelids.

Cheryl brought her other hand to wrap gently around Toni’s neck, beginning to apply pressure as Toni approached her orgasm. “Cum for me baby.” Cheryl ordered.

Toni came hard, with the combination of Cheryl’s fingers, the hand around her neck, and the sexy command falling from her plump lips, Toni was a goner. She rode out her high and sighed contentedly as she relaxed into the couch.

Cheryl gently removed her fingers, bringing them swiftly between her lips and giving the pinkette a sly wink. 

“Bombshell...mm..you continue to leave me speechless.” Toni said their pants. “Give me a few moments.”

“Let’s take this into the bedroom.” Cheryl smirked as she grabbed their garments off the floor and glided happily down the hallway.

Toni laughed to herself and followed the other girl happily.

*****

Before they knew it Cheryl and Toni were back in New York, falling back into routine, but still remaining elated after their trip to Italy.

It was the first Monday back and Cheryl was tapping her knee with anticipation, wishing Smithers would drive a bit faster. She was excited to see Toni of course, but it was their first time seeing Gabby since before Italy. The pair was ecstatic to tell her the good news.

After what seemed like hours, Smithers pulled up to Gabby’s office and Cheryl was out in a flash, running inside and immediately scanning it for the pink haired girl. Her heart skipped when she saw her, tucked away in the corner, her face buried in a nature magazine.

“Hey baby.” Cheryl greeted as she sat next to the shorter girl.

“Well hello gorgeous.” Toni responded, giving the redhead a wide smile.

“I am so excited to see Gabby’s face.” Cheryl admitted giddily.

“Me too.” Toni said, grasping Cheryl’s hand. “Don’t forget to try to hide it behind your back or something until we get in there.”

Right on cue, the door opened and Gabby was calling the girls back into her office.

Cheryl and Toni sat on their couch, facing the smiling counselor, trying desperately to hide smiles of their own.

“Ladies! So glad to see you. It feels like it has been a long time.” Gabby admitted.

“We were only gone 10 days, don’t be dramatic.” Toni said, poking fun at her.

Gabby’s eyebrows perked up. “We?”

Cheryl bit back a smile. “Yes, Toni, the ever evolving hopeless romantic met us over there.”

Gabby smirked at the information. “And how was that? Traveling together?”

“It was….amazing.” Cheryl said simply.

“You guys know the drill by now.” Gabby smiled. “Tell me more about why it was amazing, elaborate.”

Toni giggled as she watched Cheryl’s hand twitching with anticipation behind her back.

“It was...amazing...because.” Cheryl removed her hand from behind her and bent her wrist to expose the diamond ring Toni had given her.

Gabby’s eyes widened with shock and her smile took up her entire face. “This may be unprofessional, but holy shit.”

Toni bent forward with laughter, holding her stomach. “You can one hundred percent retire now. Not to brag, but I would say we are a true success story, mark us in the counseling journals or whatever.”

Cheryl elbowed Toni in the ribs, shooting her a wink. “Yes..Toni proposed to me in Italy, and I said yes...obviously meaning we will stay married and have a wedding with our friends and family when we can.”

Gabby leaned back in her chair, hands folded across her middle. “I am so proud of you two, I can’t even talk right now.”

“Thanks to you. For pushing us out of our comfort zones and not letting us half ass anything.” Toni said as she reached for Cheryl’s hand.

Gabby shook her head. “No, it was all you two. You put in the work every week. You actually tried.” She paused and pursed her lips in thought. “It’s unique actually. The way you both put in so much effort. It looked like a couple that had been together for years trying to salvage the spark they used to have. That spark came alive between you two instantly. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen before.”

Cheryl gave Toni’s hand a squeeze.

“And to be honest, normally at this time I would speak with the couple and ask them if they are sure that 3 and a half months is enough time to know. I would ask them if they are ready to make that step but….I know I don’t have to do that for you. I know you two are serious and I know this is not a mistake.” Gabby said sincerely. “I apologize, as a counselor I cannot give you advice on the status of your marriage, that is up to the two of you. I am simply giving my observations.”

“We appreciate that Gabby. And obviously we are mandated to see you for 2 and a half more months so..we have plenty of time to talk and sort things out.” Toni said.

“Exactly…” Gabby’s voice trailed off. “Now..who wants to tell me about the proposal?”

*****

**End of the 6 months**

“Babe, come on, we are going to be late.” Toni called from the living room. She had been dressed and ready for an hour while Cheryl was doing finishing touches in the bathroom.

“Almost ready my love.” Cheryl responded as her heels clicked down the hallway.

Toni smiled at the redhead as she entered the room, dressed to kill like always. “I can’t wait to get this day done, spend the night celebrating, and then...we are free to do whatever we want.”

Cheryl leaned down and planted a kiss to Toni’s lips while she sat on the couch. “Six months in the making..let’s go.” she grabbed Toni’s hand and led her towards the front door.

They descended to the main floor and hopped into Smithers waiting car. The girls situated themselves in the back and immediately linked hands.

Toni closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the leather seat and laughed to herself.

“What's so funny?” Cheryl asked curiously.

Toni opened her eyes and gave the redheads hand a squeeze. “Just thinking about the last time I was on the way to this courthouse. Speeding down the highway on my bike, stopping at Walmart for some heels to impress you….my guard all the way up.”

“And how do you feel now?” Cheryl pressed, smirking slightly.

“Now? Now I feel like I can’t wait to get there. I can’t wait for the judge to hear our answer, and I can’t wait for this to be real...no time stamp..no bullshit...guard down and heart open baby.” Toni said lightly, pressing a quick kiss to Cheryl’s smiling cheek.”And how do you feel?”

Cheryl took a deep breath and gazed into Toni’s eyes. “Remember on the elevator in Vegas...you asked me if I believed in fate?”

Toni pursed her lips in thought and nodded. “Mmmhmm...and you didn’t answer me.”

Cheryl played idly with Toni’s fingers. “I didn’t...because I thought it was a childish question. I thought your desire to strike up conversation was juvenile.”

“And how do you feel now?” Toni asked, a smile pulling at her lips.

“Now? Now fate is the cornerstone for me. I believe it was fate that brought us together. I was supposed to meet you like I did...and you are far from childish. You are so pure Toni Topaz. So pure, and so full of love and life..and I think I always knew that, from the moment I saw you. I just didn’t want to admit it.”

Toni felt a tear slip from her eye and down her cheek.”I love you baby.”

“And I love you.” Cheryl breathed as she connected their lips in a sweet kiss.

“We are here ladies.” Smithers announced as he steered the car toward the curb. 

“Thank you Smithers.” Cheryl answered as she helped Toni out of the car.

The girls walked hand in hand up the staircase, a spring in their step. They walked into the courtroom and were escorted to their familiar seats from 6 months before. They exchanged nervous smiles as they waited for the judge to enter.

A few moments later the judge entered the chamber and sat down at his seat, giving the girls a curious eyebrow raise. “I was intrigued when I saw your names on the calendar this morning.” he chuckled. “Miss Blossom, Miss Topaz, or Mrs. Whatever you all are going by, how are you doing?” he asked as he shuffled through a pile of papers.

“We are good…” Toni’s voice trailed off.

The judge placed a pair of reading glasses onto his face as he continued viewing the papers. “Well...for starters..I am impressed. I have never seen such positive and impeccable notes from Gabby. It seems you two took the sessions seriously. In fact...I see no noted infractions. No infidelity, no domestic calls, no sessions missed..you two followed every expectation.”

Toni and Cheryl nodded as he spoke.

“Which brings us to today’s order. I have the money situation sorted out. As promised, 2.5 million to each of you, you can view the amount after taxes on these forms here.” he explained, holding up the papers. “And the divorce proceedings, I have those forms here as well, so we can get that started…” his voice trailed off as he peeked over the paperwork at the two girls.

Toni exchanged a look with Cheryl and leaned forward in her chair. “Actually...Your Honor…”

“Yes?” he asked curiously.

“We uh...we can skip that part...if that’s okay.” Toni said, her voice laced with nerves.

His eyebrows rose to the top of his head. “Is that so?”

“Yes Your Honor.” Cheryl said, shooting Toni a sweet smile, her tone confident.

“Well okay then.” he grinned without pressing them. “Then please come forward, collect the tax and money forms and we are good to go ladies.”

The girls approached the bench, grabbed their forms and gave the judge their thanks, as they turned to walk away he addressed them again.

“Ya know...I don’t dish out those types of ‘sentences’ for fun…” he mused.

Toni arched an eyebrow in question as she clung to Cheryl’s hand.

“That’s all I will say on that.” he grinned as he waved them off.

They walked towards the exit. “Is he trying to take credit for us being together?” Toni giggled.

“I think so.” Cheryl laughed. “But I mean I guess he is partway responsible. Thank god for his unconventional methods.”

Toni nodded in agreement. “We would’ve found our way… I would not have let you go so easy I don't think.”

Cheryl lifted Toni’s hand to her lips and kissed it delicately. “So...are ready to head to the Southside, to tell the Serpents about the money?” Cheryl asked.

“We can...but just know, I don’t care about the money babe...I honestly forgot all about it.” Toni giggled, kissing the redhead on the cheek.

“Me too my love.” Cheryl pledged, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the pinkette.

They swung their arms playfully as they exited the courthouse. As soon as they stepped onto the stairs they heard a round of applause.

Toni looked up in confusion but soon felt her face heating up with excitement. 

“Babe…?” Cheryl asked, just as confused as Toni was.

At the bottom of the stairs was Veronica, Betty, Josie, Jughead, Sweet Pea, Kevin, and Fangs. They had balloons in their hands and a giant ‘Congratulations’ sign between them.

“What is all this?” Toni asked in awe as she looked between the group.

“We are celebrating the start of your lives of course.” Veronica said simply. “And….one more thing.” she motioned at Sweet Pea to step forward.

“We..uh...have a surprise party planned at the Wyrm for you two...I hope you aren’t mad..I know we are supposed to clear it by you but it’s for you...and...we didn’t tell them the details or about Vegas or anything...we just made up a story that you were going to propose today and….” Sweet Pea rambled.

Toni chuckled at her blundering friend. “Pea..it’s okay, we will be there.” Toni felt her chest swell at the news. “We were headed there anyway.” Over the past six months with Cheryl being around, the Serpents had grown to know and love her. They loved that Toni finally had someone she brought around and they had accepted her right off the bat. She still had guilt about lying to them about the circumstances, but it was for the best. “I mean..as long as it’s okay with the Mrs.” the pinkette joked.

“I cannot wait.” Cheryl replied, stepping forward to hug each of her friends. “We will see you there.”

*****

Toni’s bike rumbled to a stop in front of the Whyte Wyrm, Cheryl’s arms wrapped snugly around her waist. “Best surprise face baby.” The pinkette reminded the redhead as they stepped off the bike.

“Do you know who you are talking to?” Cheryl jested, putting on her best mock surprise expression.

Toni giggled, placed her hand on the small of the redheads back and guided her inside the bar.

The lights were off, the music was off, and it looked to be all together deserted.

“That’s strange, I thought I told everyone to meet here at 3….” Toni mused, doing her best to act confused.

Right on cue, the lights flashed on and a united roar of “Surprise” rang out in the bar.

Toni placed a hand over her heart and let her mouth fall open in shock. She glanced over and saw Cheryl having an almost identical reaction.

“What is all this?” The redhead asked.

The Serpents started coming out of their hiding places, patting Toni on the back and pulling Cheryl in for bone crushing hugs. 

“It’s an engagement party for you and the soon to be Mrs.” one of the older Serpents answered. “Sweet Pea here told us Toni was going to pop the question today and we threw this shindig together. Actually...the overly excited business partner of Toni’s threw it together, she gets shit done.”

Toni laughed at the description of Veronica. “That she does.” she threw the Latina a wink.

Toni looked around the bar in awe. It was decorated perfectly and she had everyone she loved in one room. Her grandfather was seated on a bar stool, a proud smile on his face and a cold beer in front of him. Josie and Sweet Pea were already dancing to the music that had started pulsing through the speakers. Fangs and Kevin were setting up a table with food and snacks, Betty and Jughead were behind the bar trying to keep up with drink orders, and Veronica and Archie were mingling with the Serpents, catching each other up on the goings on of the North and South Sides.

“Isn’t this perfect?” Cheryl said, drawing Toni back to reality. “Everyone is here for us.”

“It's amazing.” Toni responded, tears brimming in her eyes. “Better than anything I could have imagined.”

Cheryl pulled Toni in for a quick kiss. “Shall we mingle?”

Toni nodded and grabbed Cheryl’s hand tightly in hers so they could make their rounds around the room.

Rounds around the room turned into long conversations, flowing drinks, and endless words of congratulations. The two girls could not have been any happier. Finally they found themselves back at the bar by Thomas and ordered a drink to have with him.

“My best girls.” Thomas grinned as he took a swig of his beer.

Toni arched an eyebrow at the older man. “Grandpa..how much have you had to drink?”

“This is my 4th.” he said honestly.

“Your 4th? Grandpa!” Toni said in shock.

He waved her off with his hand.”Oh come on, it’s not everyday my granddaughter gets engaged.” he winked.

“Thomas...didn’t we come over and watch John Wayne and drink champagne right when we got back from Italy to celebrate with you?” Cheryl reminded him playfully.

“Hey Red! You’re supposed to be the fun one.” he joked.

Cheryl pressed a kiss to his tanned cheek. “You have fun, leave the warden to me.”

Toni rolled her eyes at the pair. “I’ll let it slide for now, it's time for me to make a speech anyway....”

“Yes, Serpent Queen.” Cheryl grinned as she guided Toni towards a small stage.

Toni stepped up and extended her hand to help the redhead up by her side. She stood for a second to wait for the crowd to die down. “Hey everyone.” she smiled.

They all greeted her in unison, holding their drinks in the air.

“I want to thank you all for coming out today to celebrate Cheryl and I.” she started, reaching for the redhead’s hand as she spoke. “You all have welcomed Cheryl with open arms and we couldn’t be more grateful for that. She is my other half so she will be respected as such. I do not think that is going to be a problem though.” She scanned the smiling faces of all her family and friends and fought back tears. “I also want to thank you for your patience while I have been away working with Veronica on the Southside Project, it means a lot that you trust me in that way. I also ask for some patience as Cheryl and I figure out our living arrangement.” she gave Cheryl a soft smile and squeezed her hand. “Also...I have some pretty big news that pertains to the Serpents and the future of the Southside Project.”

Veronica gave Toni a sly smile from the crowd. Even though Veronica had insisted that Toni not use her own money for the project, she knew that Toni’s love for the gang and her town would outweigh anything the raven haired girl would say. Veronica nodded at her for encouragement.

“Today not only starts my life with Cheryl but...I was also was receiving the finalized paperwork on my winnings from Vegas….” Toni slowly pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket. “I didn’t want to tell you all until it was in stone...but...we have 2.5 million dollars to use for the Serpents and for the Project. We can do so much for our city.” she said with tears in her eyes.

A large eruption of cheers and applause shook the room. The Serpents were literally ecstatic and flooding the bar with emotion. There was laughter, tears, jumping, dancing, hugging, and everything in between.

Toni and Cheryl watched from the stage side by side, hand and hand, taking it all in.

The pinkette waited for the noise to disperse before she continued. “I know this comes as a shock but know I kept it from you until I knew it was real.”

More cheers rang up, signaling the approval of what Toni was saying.

“I don’t want to talk your ears off but this is the beginning of a lot of things and I am happy to have you all with Cheryl and I on this journey. We look forward to continuing to grow as a couple and as a gang. Now, let's party!” she said letting go of Cheryl’s hand and jumping off the stage.

She reached to help Cheryl off the stage and pulled her into a tight embrace as the Serpents gathered around them. “I love you so much.” she managed to whisper into her ear through all the noise.

“I love you too.” Cheryl mouthed back.

Toni and Cheryl finally made it free of the pile of Serpents and found themselves on the dance floor with their friends. 

“I’m going to go grab us some shots.” Sweet Pea shouted over the music.

Toni gave him a thumbs up with one hand and twirled Cheryl with the other, pulling her in close after.

Sweet Pea returned with the shots and passed them out to the group.

“To my lovely friendssss.” Fangs slurred as he held up his shot. 

“Wait…” Toni said looking between her friends. “Does anyone have a lighter?”

Cheryl smirked at Toni’s request and watched as Sweet Pea tossed her a lighter.

“Who wants to see a trick?” the pink haired girl asked with a giggle.

Cheryl watched as Toni lit her shot on fire, brought it to her lips, gave the redhead a wink and extinguished the flame with her breath before tossing it back. “That was hot baby.” Cheryl praised with an amused giggle. 

Toni let out a laugh. “Damn, things have changed.”

Cheryl shook her head and gave Toni a playful slap to the rear.

“Hey, don’t start that.” Toni said in Cheryl’s ear. “I’m going to have to get you back to the trailer sooner rather then later.”

“Fine with me” Cheryl said with dark eyes.

“Well look at the time…” Toni said, about to bid her friends farewell.

“Wait...before you take off you two...one more thing…” Veronica said walking towards a table that had been set up for gifts. She grabbed an envelope and walked back towards the group. “A small engagement present.” 

“Veronica..you’re insane...you didn’t need to do all this.” Cheryl lectured as her friend handed her the envelope.

The Latina rolled her eyes. “I’ll never learn.”

“Go head and open it babe.” Toni said as she peered at it curiously.

The redhead opened the envelope carefully and pulled out two airline tickets. “V….what is this?”

Veronica bit her lip in excitement. “Vegas baby! Why not go back to where it all began? A little weekend getaway..it could be fun.”

Cheryl felt warmth radiate in her chest. “We already got married, what else could we possibly do?” she laughed.

“The possibilities are endless baby.” Toni grinned. “We will see what happens.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter didn't feel to choppy. I kind of had to jump around to wrap everything up. See you in the epilogue. :)


	23. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two year time jump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I’m super sad to close out this fic. It was my first one ever and will always be my little baby lol. It has been fun bringing it to life and sharing it with all of you. I told myself I’d be happy if just one person read my fic but a lot of you have read it and shown it love and for that I am so grateful. More than I ever would have expected. I hope to continue to write for a bit so stick around if ya want lol. 
> 
> Special thanks to my friend @lez_blossom. This fic also brought me her friendship which is extremely valuable to me. She is my reader (and co-author for cheer) and has been reading this for me literally since like the early chapters and helping me brainstorm when I run into brick walls. Also calming me down, hyping me up, and keeping me motivated on this story. I couldn’t have done it without her.
> 
> I’d also like to thank the gc for sharing my updates on Twitter and getting the word out there so more people could read the story. I appreciate that immensely.
> 
> Okay all that being said I hope you guys like the epilogue. I took a survey on if people wanted to see a wedding or a time jump. Thank you for interacting with that by the way. The majority said time jump but I didn’t want to leave the wedding people hanging so I tried to combine them...but you’ll see. I hope you all have enjoyed it and so glad I have got to talk to all of you that I have got to talk to because of this. If you still wanna talk I’m @tonicheryltopaz. Okay enough of my rambling. 
> 
> Oh also! Comment below what you think Chonis wedding song would be, I wrote it without one but a convo with my pal @swtchbladetoni (on Twitter ) got me pondering about that.
> 
> Sorry for any typos or erros y'all lol. Okay I am going to go cry now.

2 Years Later

Cheryl sat on a bar stool at the Whyte Wyrm her chin resting upright on her hands as she listened to her wife address the Serpents. The pink haired girl stood on the stage in front of the bar going over formalities and finances for the gang. Cheryl bit back a smirk as Toni spoke in an animated tone, her arms moving with purpose as she spoke.

The redhead made brief eye contact with Toni and the shorter girl threw her a wink, causing Cheryl to bashfully grin. She winked back and continued listening to Toni explain the goings on in the Southside.

Things were looking up for everyone due to Toni, Cheryl, and Veronica’s efforts in building up the once dilapidated neighborhood. The past two years had been busy as the couple established themselves, their careers, and planned a wedding. There had been a few hurdles to overcome, but Toni and Cheryl had each other to lean on through it all.

Living arrangements had proved to be their first obstacle as they were finding their footing. Cheryl did not want Toni to move out of the Southside, but Toni thought Cheryl would have better opportunities in the city. She already had connections up there from school. Cheryl would not budge much on it since Toni had spent so much time and effort trying to reestablish the Serpents. They tried living like Veronica and Archie did during their engagement, apart some days, and together others, but it was not plausible for them.

What they ended up with was the best of both worlds. Cheryl had used a chunk of her money to purchase one of the buildings on the Southside to build up her own law firm. It was tedious work and she was still establishing herself but she loved it. Toni had proposed a subdivision in place of Sunnyside Trailer Park so the Serpents could have better homes. They weren’t fancy or the biggest to say the least but they were perfect for them. Toni’s winnings were more than enough to get the small neighborhood started.

It wasn’t all on Toni’s shoulders though. With more businesses opening, more Serpents and residents were able to hold steady jobs on the Southside, thus giving back to the gang as well. Everything really was getting back to the family and community roots that the Serpents had been founded on. There was still a long way to go but things were going perfectly and in the right direction with Toni leading the way.

Which led to today’s meeting. The last house was finally done and Toni was holding a meeting in case there were any pressing questions or concerns with any of the homes. The two women had moved into theirs about two weeks ago. The only Serpent that did not want a home was Toni's grandfather. He did not want to part with his trailer, and did not want any money on a home spent on him. Toni and Cheryl had offered him a room in their house, which he also politely declined. His only request was that their house was next door.

“Alright guys and don’t forget, I won’t be around this weekend because...it’s me and my girls one year wedding anniversary.” Toni announced as she gestured toward Cheryl, who was hard to miss in her red Serpent jacket.

That jacket had become one of Cheryl’s most prized possessions. She got it shortly after the wedding, being married to the Serpent Queen had its perks, including a customized jacket. 

Toni’s announcement was met with cheers from the group and smiles in Cheryl’s direction.

“So that’s all for today, everyone have a good and safe weekend.” Toni said as she hopped down and walked towards her wife.

“Hi babe.” Cheryl said, wrapping her arms around Toni’s petite waist.

“Hey baby, it’s good to see you. You didn’t have to stop by after work, I know you were busy today.” Toni said with a quick kiss to the redhead’s lips.

“I’m a Serpent too, I wasn’t going to miss the meeting, plus it’s Friday and I’m my own boss, so I won’t tell on myself for skipping out early.” Cheryl smirked.

“Fair enough.” Toni agreed as she helped the taller girl off the bar stool. “Ready to head home?”

Cheryl nodded and held onto Toni’s hand as they bid the Serpents farewell.

“Hey, wait up.” a deep voice called to the girls as they got towards the door.

They turned around in unison to see Sweet Pea bounding towards them, with Fangs close on his heels.

“What’s up guys?” Toni asked with a look of confusion on her face.

“We got you a little something.” Sweet Pea said, exposing a wrapped box he had behind his back. "For your anniversary..." He placed the box gently in Cheryl’s arms.

The redhead looked at Toni with a curious grin and began opening the box. Toni craned her neck to try and see what it was as Cheryl continued to remove the paper.

When Cheryl saw what was under the paper, she felt tears immediately begin to fill her eyes. She pulled it out of the box so that everyone could see. It was a canvas photo from Toni and Cheryl’s wedding day. It was of them leaving the reception, hand and hand. The guests held sparklers as the girls made their exit. The photo was professionally blurred to show only Cheryl, Toni and the sparklers in focus. The girls' smiles took up their whole faces, a look of pure adoration on each of their faces. The boys had chosen to get a black and white version of the picture.

Cheryl ran her fingertips over the canvas gently, overtaken by emotion as she looked at the image. Her heart ached with love as she saw the way her wife was looking at her in that moment. She felt Toni rest her chin on her shoulder as she looked at the canvas as well.

Sweet Pea and Fangs leaned forward with excitement as they saw the women admiring their gift. "Do you like it...?" Sweet Pea asked nervously. "I asked Josie..she said she thought you would love it..."

Cheryl sniffled and gave them a knowing smile. “You guys, yes you did amazing...this is the best gift….wow...I don’t know what to say.”

“You can hang it in the new place.” Fangs said excitedly.

“Of course, it’ll be perfect.” Toni responded as she wiped a tear. “I can’t believe you guys came up with this.”

Sweet Pea grinned proudly. “See..we have good ideas sometimes.”

“We love it..thank you so much.” Cheryl said, pulling each boy in for a long embrace.

“We will send you a picture once we get it hung up.” Toni smiled as she grasped Cheryl’s hand. “We love you guys.”

“We love you two too.” Fangs answered, giving the two women each another hug.

*****

Toni yawned deeply the following morning, a smile gracing her lips as she rolled over, expecting to encompass her gorgeous wife in her arms. The smile quickly faltered when she felt a cold, empty bed. Her brows scrunched together in confusion as she clasped the soft sheets between her fingers. Cheryl was always an early riser, but they had planned on being lazy today.

She couldn’t wait to spend the day with Cheryl. Even though they had been married longer than a year, they could not wait to be together and relive the day they got married in front of all their friends and family.

Today bit back a smile as she thought of Cheryl on their wedding day. Breathtakingly beautiful. If she closed her eyes she could still see her in that dress. It was an image that would be engraved in her mind until the end of time. She could still hear the redhead’s vows fresh in her mind, promising to love her forever.

_ Toni, when I met you I never would have thought you would be someone I could not live without. You quickly showed me exactly why I need you in my heart forever. I promise to be by your side through it all. I promise to support your dreams, to lift you up, and to love you unconditionally. I promise to never let you forget how amazing and perfect you are and I promise to let people think you’re a badass, even though I know you are really just a big marshmallow. And I promise to eat ice cream with you every night and enjoy all the little moments. I love you Antoniette Topaz and I will never stop, not in this lifetime or any lifetimes to come. It’s me and you forever. _

It had been the best day of Toni’s life, but truthfully every day was amazing with Cheryl. Sure they had gotten in arguments like couples do. Some had landed Toni on her grandfather’s couch for a night but he was never afraid to tell Toni, or Cheryl for that matter when they were being too stubborn. 

Toni forced herself out of bed, curious to see where her wife was. She smelt delicious aromas coming from the kitchen and padded downstairs to find the source. She saw the beautiful redhead arranging tulips in a vase on the island and a bag from Pop’s next to them. The pinkette watched her for a moment, not wanting to break her from her peaceful trance.

“Happy Anniversary baby.” she finally said from the doorway.

Cheryl jumped slightly, surprised by her wife. Her smile instantly grew when she saw her. “Good morning. Happy Anniversary.”

“You are looking delectable as always Mrs. Topaz.” Toni grinned, her eyes scanning up and down her wife's body.

Cheryl blushed slightly. “Breakfast first Mrs. Topaz.” she rolled her eyes and opened the Pop’s bag pulling out a styrofoam box.

Toni bit back a smile. Calling Cheryl Mrs. Topaz would never get old. There had been a conversation prior to the wedding about their last names. Since Cheryl had signed away her part of her family business years ago, she wanted every trace of that life and tainted name gone. Even though Toni had her family issues as well, Topaz was still a name she shared with her grandfather and she was more than happy to share it with Cheryl.

“Pancakes?” Toni asked happily.

“Of course.” Cheryl stated as she started separating the breakfast between the two of them. “Extra syrup for that sweet tooth of yours.”

“You know me so well.” The pinkette responded as she began pouring the sugary liquid onto her pancakes.

Cheryl hummed happily and sat down next to her wife.

“And you got me tulips? You had a productive morning.” Toni quipped.

“You know me. It’s hard for me to sleep in, especially on special occasions.” Cheryl replied.

“Well I have a present for you after breakfast….and I have something special planned for us tonight.” Toni said with a raise of her eyebrows.

“Color me intrigued.” Cheryl said as she leaned over to plant a kiss onto Toni’s smiling cheek.

“Now finish up and we can get this celebration started.” Toni exclaimed, taking an extra large bite of her pancake.

*****

After a couple hours spent back in bed, Cheryl had fallen into a peaceful sleep. Toni was thrilled to have the time to set up her surprise for their evening activities. She quickly threw on some clothes and crept down to the family room. She made a pit stop at the linen closet to grab an assortment of sheets and fluffy blankets.

She carefully began draping the sheets from their sectional, over the coffee table, and propping them up to form a fort. She filled it with the blankets and pillows and made sure you could see the TV perfectly through the opening. 

She grabbed another sheet and hung it over the TV that was mounted on the wall. The pinkette lit Cheryl’s favorite candle and went down to the basement to grab one last thing. She quickly found what she was looking for and hauled it up the stairs and arranged it perfectly in the room.

She looked around the space and nodded with approval at her handy work. Toni pulled out her phone to order Cheryl’s favorite pizza and went to wake her up. She ran up the stairs and pounced on the bed next to the redhead and began peppering her face with kisses.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up.” Toni chanted as she continued her face kisses.

“T.T.” Cheryl giggled. “I’m up, I’m up.”

“Good because I have gift number 2 downstairs waiting for us, beautiful.” Toni said.

“You already gave me…..three gifts.” Cheryl smirked.

“Fine.” Toni rolled her eyes playfully. “Gift number 4 then.”

Cheryl laughed and pulled Toni down by the neck for a firm kiss.

Toni melted into it and allowed it to continue for a few beats. “Okay sexy, get up, I have a surprise downstairs.”

Cheryl hopped up excitedly and threw on her silk red robe over her body. “Okay, lead the way.”

Toni smiled and grabbed Cheryl’s hand, gently guiding her out of their room and down the stairs. She stopped just short of the family room. “Okay….close your eyes babe.” The pinkette watched as Cheryl’s brown eyes closed.

She helped her into the room and placed her so she could see the whole set up when her eyes opened. “Okay and open!” Toni announced.

Cheryl opened her eyes and looked at what Toni had put together. “Baby..this is cute. What is all this?”

“Well...I made us a blanket fort.” she laughed and shrugged. “But...I drug the old projector up from the basement because….” the pinkette dashed to the linen closet again and pulled out a cardboard box.

Cheryl looked at her pensively and arched an eyebrow as she watched Toni open it.

“I know a guy...he owned me a favor after I got him a job down at the hardware store.” she murmured as she pulled out the roll of film. “I had him put our wedding video on film..I thought it would be cool to watch like this. Kind of old timey.” 

Cheryl grabbed Toni’s face between her hands and gazed into her eyes. “Toni..baby..that is so romantic.”

Toni felt her face heat up as she planted a kiss to Cheryl’s lips. “You deserve it. Now get your cute butt in there and I’ll get this set up.” she said, giving Cheryl’s backside a light smack.

Toni quickly began setting up the film, her tongue poking out from between her lips in concentration. It didn’t take her long, having had done this many times when the drive in was open. Her, Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Fangs had snuck in to watch many films after it had closed down. “There.” she said victoriously. 

“Come in here.” Cheryl said playfully from under the fort, her voice muffled.

“I will babe, as soon as the…” the doorbell ringing interrupted her sentence. “Pizza is here.” she laughed.

Toni jogged to the front door to retrieve the pizza and went to the kitchen to grab plates and napkins. Once she had everything they needed she crawled into the fort to join her wife. “Okay, finally ready.”

Cheryl smiled and opened up the pizza box. “And you even got my favorite?” she asked excitedly.

“Of course.” Toni responded with a kiss to the forehead. 

They ate their pizza happily and Toni cleaned everything up when they were finished. She went to the kitchen to clean up and flipped the projector on when she walked back into the room. She went back into the fort and laid down on the pillows, pulling Cheryl into her body.

The projector clicked and began playing on the makeshift screen in front of them. It started off with Cheryl and Toni outside Toni's trailer kissing each other goodbye in the morning and going to their designated places to get ready.

“Look how nervous you look.” Cheryl laughed, pointing to Toni’s anxious expression.

“I just didn’t want to leave you is all.” she countered with a nudge to the shoulder.

The camera cut to Cheryl getting ready with Veronica, Josie, Betty, and Kevin. Her hair was being done into an intricate up-do, her smile reflecting in the mirror in front of her. It was only two minutes into the film and Toni was already getting emotional. She blinked back tears as she saw Veronica hanging Cheryl’s dress in the window, and Josie laying out her sparkling heels.

“Toni Topaz...are you crying?” Cheryl asked softly.

“No, there’s dust in my eye from the basement I think.” the pink haired girl chuckled.

The scene switched to Toni, sitting on a bar stool at the Whyte Wyrm. Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Jughead by her side. Each of them had a beer glass in front of them and they did a “Cheers” to the camera. They all had their Serpent jackets on and took turns pulling the smaller girl in for bone crushing hugs.

“They adore you.”Cheryl observed as she watched the gang members getting emotional over their wedding day.

Toni nodded as she watched a time lapse to her in her dress, standing in front of her grandfather. He was in his Serpent jacket as well, it draped heavily over his frail frame. He wiped tears from his face and Toni did a spin in her dress for him. Her dress was mostly lace and it hugged her body perfectly. It had a low back, and the straps over her shoulders were about 2 inches thick with beautiful beading. 

Now Cheryl was the one wiping tears from her face. “I have seen this video so many times, but this moment….you have to have no heart if you don’t cry at this moment. He looks so happy.”

Toni gave Cheryl a soft kiss on the cheek. “I will never forget that. Now shhh my favorite part is coming up.”

Cheryl snuggled further into Toni and locked her eyes back to the screen.

The camera panned to Cheryl now in her dress. It was strapless, accentuating her collar bone and pale neck perfectly. It showed just enough cleavage to be classy, and hugged her waist in a way that showed off her curves. It was sown with shimmering thread so each turn or catch of light caused it to sparkle. It was simple but very Cheryl. A smile was plastered on her nude colored lips as she did a little spin for the camera. Josie, Betty, Veronica, and Kevin all stood before her, tears in their eyes. 

“You look like an angel.” Toni whispered.

“Shh..now my favorite part is coming up.” Cheryl giggled.

Toni reached for her wife’s hand. She knew what part was coming up too and she knew she was going to lose it. The first time seeing each other in their dresses.

Toni watched the screen as the couple stood in front of the venue, their backs to one another. They both were beaming and they had not even seen each other yet. The girls turned around in unison, looks of pure awe on both their faces. You could see the pink haired girl go weak in the knees as she looked at her bride to be.

Cheryl looked just as stunned, covering her mouth with both hands while she looked at the woman standing in front of her.

Toni felt warm tears start to fall down her cheeks and she didn’t hold them back. Freely letting them flow as Cheryl pulled her close. “We both needed makeup touch ups after that.” she sniffled.

Cheryl wiped tears from her face as well. “I know, I think we both cried all day.”

Toni chuckled in agreement and looked back at the screen.

The wedding procession began, with Thomas walking Toni down the aisle, and Sweet Pea escorting Cheryl down the aisle.

The ceremony continued with Toni hearing Cheryl’s vows that she had reminisced on earlier in the morning and then it was Toni’s turn. She had both of Cheryl’s hands in her own as she looked her directly in the eye. “ _ Cheryl… _ ” she began shakily. The pinkette paused to take a breath as she started again. “C _ heryl. Today is a day that I thought I would never see for myself. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I mean that. I will spend every day of my life showing you that you are a blessing and a light in my life. I promise to bear every storm with you and celebrate every sunny day. I promise to make you smile and laugh as much as possible. I vow to enjoy every day we have together, and I hope those days are infinite. I will be with you in this life and every life to follow. I love you so much Cheryl, and I will never make you doubt that.” _

Cheryl buried her face into Toni’s neck and the pink haired girl could feel hot tears on her skin. “Ugh, I am so emotional.”

“Me too.” Toni admitted as she began running her fingers through Cheryl’s hair.

The ceremony finished up with both girls sealing their commitment with a sweet kiss. They joined hands and walked down the aisle, eyes locked on one another.

Toni started giggling because she knew what part was next. “The reception...remember how drunk Kevin, Fangs, Josie, and Sweet Pea were?”

Cheryl covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. “Oh my god, they were hilarious.”

The next shot was Toni and Cheryl on the dance floor, holding each other as close as possible as they swayed to the music. They only had eyes for each other as they gilded around, totally oblivious to the crowd surrounding them.

“I never noticed Sweet Pea wiping his eyes watching us dance!” Toni exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

“A giant softie, like you.” Cheryl laughed with a kiss to the pinkette’s cheek. “Must be a Serpent thing.”

The girls finished their dance and all the guests flooded the dance floor. The camera followed the newlyweds around as they greeted their guests and then broke away from them to record some of the guests on the dance floor. 

It panned to Sweet Pea and Fangs fist pumping in the middle of the floor, surrounded by Josie and Kevin laughing and egging them on. It showed Toni's grandfather dancing with both girls, a smile so big on his face it almost didn't fit.

The video showed the girls leaving the reception through the line of sparklers, like the canvas they had been gifted earlier. As soon as the women got to the end of the line, Toni grabbed Cheryl in an embrace, dipped her and gave her a firm kiss on the lips, earning cheers from all the guests.

Toni thought it would be badass to try and leave on her motorcycle, but she only got them a few feet when she realized it was a bad idea. Luckily, Smithers was on standby in the limo to take the girls to their hotel for the night.

The video ended with the limo departing, and all the guests waving bye to the camera. The film drew to a close and Cheryl let out a content sigh. “Thank you for that T.T., I couldn't think of a better way to spend our first anniversary together.”

“What’s your favorite part of being married?” Toni asked playfully as she drew gentle circles on Cheryl’s shoulder with her index finger, still feeling blissful after watching the video.

“So many things. Can I say my top three?” the redhead questioned.

“Of course baby.” 

“First. That my name is Topaz. I can’t even begin to explain how rewarding it is to be building up my own law firm with my new name. It is something that is my own. People aren’t coming because my name is Blossom….and that’s...satisfying.” Cheryl began. “Second. After a long day I get to come home to the most beautiful woman on the planet earth. Seeing your face...it’s all I need to turn my day around..”

Toni smiled for her to continue.

“Third..it’s so comforting to know that no matter what I have someone on my team, someone in my corner. You are the support in my life that I yearned for...and now I have it forever.” Cheryl stated. “Plus…..have you seen your body.”

Toni giggled and rolled over so she was on top of the redhead. She gave her a firm kiss on the lips and looked at her softly.

“What’s your favorite thing?” Cheryl asked curiously.

“Well…” Toni began as she readjusted so she was not putting all her weight on her wife. “Can I name my top three?”

Cheryl smirked and nodded as she ran her hands up and down the shorter girls back affectionately.

“Number one, it may sound weird but the fact that I get to do mundane things with you. Watch you drink your coffee in the morning, sit in silence while you are reading your cases from work, seeing you sitting on the bar stool during Serpent meetings, watching you take off your makeup at night….I live for those moments. The moments that people don’t pay attention to sometimes.” Toni began.

Cheryl leaned up to kiss Toni’s cheek while she spoke.

“Second...that we are building our own family. It’s ‘us’ like we said...we are a family...and I hope that it continues to grow in the future….” she added with an eyebrow raise.

Cheryl planted a kiss to the other cheek, urging Toni to continue.

“Third...the same as you. I have someone to lift me up, to support my dreams, to cheer me on...truly...that means the world… Plus...have you seen your body?” the pinkette added playfully.

Cheryl gave her wife a swat to the backside. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Toni responded. “Now we have about two hours left of our anniversary...care to relive the post reception activities upstairs?”

Cheryl hummed in thought and flipped Toni over without warning. “Or...we could relive them right here.” she arched an eyebrow at the girl under her.

“I like the way you think Mrs. Topaz.”

*****

After taking full advantage of Toni’s blanket fort the girls laid on their backs, breathing peacefully side by side.

Cheryl didn’t want the night to end quite yet, her heart so full with reliving that wonderful day. 

“Toni?” She asked as she turned on her side to face her wife.

“Yeah babe?” Toni responded, following suit and facing the redhead.

“I have one more idea, will you meet me on the deck?” She asked

Toni sat up slowly and nodded.

Cheryl smiled to herself and followed Toni out of the makeshift fort. She quickly padded into the kitchen and heard the sliding door leading to the deck open and close. The redhead dragged a chair from the kitchen table to the counter and climbed up onto it. She opened one of the higher cabinets and squinted her eyes as she searched for what she was looking for. She celebrated internally when she found it and grasped the bottle with one hand. Champagne from their wedding . The last bottle. She rummaged a bit more until she found their engraved flutes, "10/2/19" a gift from Betty and Jughead .

She took the flutes and champagne out to Toni, who gave her a curious eyebrows raise, and went back in for a large knife. 

She rejoined Toni on the deck, the night sky shining brightly over them. “I thought we could crack open this last bottle form out wedding.”

Toni grinned warmly and embraced Cheryl with both arms. “Perfect idea.”

Cheryl grinned back and held the bottle out at an arm's length, she stuck her tongue out in concentration and sabered the bottle perfectly just like she had in Vegas and like she had many times in her parents sitting room.

Toni gave her a round of applause as she watched the redhead pour them generous of amount of the bubbly alcohol.

She placed the glass in Toni’s hand and clinked her glass against it as they both took a hearty swig.

“You’re such a romantic.” Toni mused as she took another sip. “Drinking our wedding champagne under the stars, can’t get anymore sappy than that.” She giggled.

Cheryl smirked and brought the glass up to her lips. “You’re to blame for that. Your hopeless romanticism has rubbed off on me.”

Toni shrugged and gave the redhead a kiss on the cheek. “Nah.. you’ve always been soft baby.” 

“Speak for yourself.” Cheryl said with a nudge to the shorter girls shoulder.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, resting against the railing of their deck and sipping quietly on the champagne.

Toni took another sip and placed her arm around her wife’s shoulders. “Okay..plans for this coming year?”

Cheryl hummed in thought as she aimlessly twirled a strand of pink hair in her fingers. “I would love to see my firm continue to grow. It’s rewarding you know? And I used to think it was selfish..to want success...but I want that.”

“You deserve it.” Toni insisted.

“Mmm...as do you. I want to continue to watch you lead the gang. What you have done is literally amazing. It’s mind blowing. So I’m happy to watch that this coming year...and of course.. continue to fall deeply, deeply in love with you.” The redhead said dreamily.

Toni set her flute down on the railing and gently grasped Cheryl’s chin between her thumb and index finger, and placed a delicate kiss to her plump lips.

“Sounds identical to my plans.” Toni whispered. 

“Perfect.” The redhead replied back with a kiss.

Toni sighed happily and grasped the champagne again. She held it up to the redhead and waited for Cheryl to grab hers.

“To many more years baby.” Toni toasted.

Cheryl bit back a smile as she clinked Toni’s glass. “Too many more, my love.”


End file.
